Source: AFP
Veteran actresses Judi Dench and Sian Phillips have become the first female members of London’s esteemed Garrick Club after it voted in May to allow women to join, the Guardian reported on Tuesday.
Founded in 1831 for actors and ‘men of refinement and education’, the Garrick was one of the last clubs that did not allow women to enter, except as guests of men.
However, after a bitter dispute, the club opened its membership in May and fast-tracked the actors’ applications during its annual general meeting on Monday, according to the Guardian.
Oscar winner Dench, 89, is recognized as one of the UK’s finest actors, starring on stage and screen, most notably as ‘M’ in eight James Bond films.
Phillips, 91, is best known for her theater work and was nominated for a Tony and Olivier Award for her portrayal of Marlene Dietrich in “Marlene.”
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The club’s membership is a closely guarded secret, but it is known to include leading figures from public administration, law, journalism, publicly funded institutions and the arts.
Several high-profile members had reportedly threatened to leave the club if the proposal to allow women was rejected.
In March, the head of Britain’s spy agency, Richard Moore, resigned after a list of the club’s members was made public for the first time.
Moore sent a message to MI6 officials acknowledging the reputational blow news of his membership had dealt the agency — particularly the risk of undermining its work to attract more women to join MI6.
The Prime Minister’s senior policy adviser Rishi Sunak, head of the civil service Simon Case, also resigned as a member.
A petition launched in 2021 to advocate for women’s admission has attracted the support of Cherie Booth, a leading barrister whose husband is former prime minister Tony Blair.
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She recalled that in 1976 as a trainee barrister she was left standing outside while her future husband was let in for dinner.
Organizers of the petition said the large number of judges and senior lawyers who were members deprived women of networking opportunities in a profession in which women are underrepresented, particularly at the senior levels.
The Garrick, located in Covent Garden in central London, offers members accommodation, a restaurant, a bar and a library.
Other high-profile figures reported as members include ‘Sherlock’ star Benedict Cumberbatch and senior minister Michael Gove.
An early member was Charles Dickens.
Source: AFP
