Tennent's Binkie Beaumont

john gielgud

tennent died in 1941, leaving beaumont in sole control, , next twenty years 1 of powerful men in british theatre. maintained low profile, shunning limelight partly natural reticence (saying, haven t temperament cochran or diaghilev ) , partly belief operate more behind scenes. first full-length biography of beaumont, published in 1989, subtitled éminence grise of west end theatre, 1933–1973 .

beaumont gained strong commercial advantage on rivals setting subsidiary company present classic plays: maintained operation qualified educational , , exempt tax. productions such importance of being earnest, gielgud , edith evans, , hamlet, gielgud , peggy ashcroft, beaumont made large profits ostensibly charitable enterprise. gielgud strong influence on beaumont s aesthetic development, , maintained mutually beneficial association survived despite personal crisis when gielgud s partner john perry fell , moved in beaumont. perry remained , professionally involved beaumont rest of latter s life, , 3 remained on close terms. close associate noël coward. in play present laughter, caricatured himself , friends, including beaumont, portrayed henry lyppiatt , shrewd man of business. despite heavy entertainment tax paid on productions main tennent organisation, beaumont made substantial profits such new plays coward s blithe spirit, ran 1,997 performances.