Given the state of the economy, it seems unlikely that the majority of the British public are especially concerned about the composition of the membership of a men-only private-members’ club in London’s Theatreland. Nonetheless, investigative journalist Amelia Gentleman, of the Guardian newspaper, chose to reveal the membership list of the Garrick Club on 18 March 2024, all in the noble causes of equality, diversity, and inclusivity in British society, and in a pointed dig at the omnipotent Establishment, inciting much controversy in the process.
The Garrick Club has been housed since 1864 at 15 Garrick Street, in an imposing, but somewhat non-descript, building which is mostly overlooked by the hordes of passers-by seeking the more plebeian attractions of London’s Covent Garden district. The legacy of actor-playwright David Garrick (1717-1779) is indelibly writ upon this corner of the West End, with his name attached not only to a short length of street, his eponymous club, but also a pub, a French restaurant, and, as to be expected, a theatre to boot.
The club dates back to August 1831, when a group of “literary gentlemen” under the patronage of Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex and brother of King George IV, met at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane and agreed to foster a venue where “actors and men of refinement might meet on equal terms.” The club’s membership came to include an impressive host of Victorian elites-the leading lights of art, literature, music, theatre, and other genteel pursuits of the time. In the early 21st century, around 1,500 members of the Garrick Club now include among their numbers an eclectic mix of judges, peers, government ministers, Conservative MPs, diplomats, lawyers, academics, actors, journalists, newspaper editors, rock stars, fashion designers, business leaders, private equity investors, and other members of the “new establishment,” whether right-wing, left-wing, or centre-of-the-road. This reflects wider changes in British society, whereby a decline in the inherited advantages of the landed aristocracy of past generations has made way for the new movers and shakers from a more diverse background, whether in Whitehall, Westminster, or the City of London. To join this veritable line-up of talent you have to be born with a set of XY chromosomes, and, when grown up, to identify two obliging members of the Club-one to sponsor your nomination, and the other to second the same.
Membership of the Garrick Club provides privileged access to an elegant, convivial, and relaxing environment, adorned by theatrical drawings and paintings, and enhanced by refined wining and dining, scintillating company, brilliant conversation, great service, bedrooms with en suite facilities, a theatrical library, and an opportunity for informal networking with kindred and like-minded souls among the metropolitan elites of London. However, it is apparently not meant to be a venue for formal meetings or for political or financial decision-making.
For various reasons, over recent decades, the stalwarts of the Garrick Club have resisted female membership even as wider society has become more inclusive of the opposite sex. For example, a 2011 proposal for membership for Joanna Lumley by fellow thespian Hugh Bonneville was resisted by the membership, guided by legal advice on the matter. As recently as late 2023, a survey of members indicated that a slim majority of 51 per cent were in favour of female membership-far short of the two-thirds majority required to change the club’s rules. However, the club is protected by the law, as the Equality Act 2010 allows enforcement of single-membership rules, and its private status exempts it from sanction under the Human Rights Act.
Females can enter the Garrick Club if invited by members, although they must submit to a dress code and are confined to certain areas within. The Garrick is by no means the only men-only London club, sharing this characteristic with the Beefsteak, Boodles, Brook’s, Savile, Travellers, and White’s clubs. But men aren’t alone in seeking their own spaces, as shown by the existence of women-only venues in London, such as the University Women’s Club, the AllBright Club, The Sorority, The Trouble, and The Merit Club.
Most recently, female elites have once again declared their intentions of joining the Garrick Club, while others have criticised the composition of its membership. An open letter, coordinated by two barristers, Dr Charlotte Proudman and Elisabeth Traugott, and signed by more than eighty lawyers in England and Wales was thus delivered to the club on 28 March 2024, just as they led a demonstration outside its hallowed precincts. They decided that judges’ membership of the Garrick was “incompatible with the core principles of justice, equality and fairness”. The same day, the Bar Council stated: “Closed doors and exclusionary spaces do not foster support or collaboration between colleagues. Where progression from the legal profession into the judiciary relies on references, they create the potential for unfair advantage.”
The recent protests have had a limited effect so far, prompting the resignations of some high-profile members-including the chief of the Secret Intelligence Service- MI6 (Sir Richard Moore), the head of the Civil Service (Sir Simon Case), three high court judges (Sir Nicholas Cusworth, Sir Ian Dove, Sir Nicholas Lavender), one appeals court judge (Sir Keith Lindblom), and the chair of the UK Statistics Authority (Robert Chote).
It remains unclear why anyone would want to join an “antediluvian” and exclusionary club of mostly ageing males-an institution that is subject to natural attrition and decay with the passage of time-at a cost of £1,600 per annum, unless one takes seriously Groucho Marx’s assertion that he would not join any club that would have him as a member, suggesting that seeking membership of a club that rejects one is worthier of the effort. There are far more important issues waiting to be tackled without wasting any more time on broadening the membership of the Garrick Club, an issue which can at best be considered a storm in a teacup.
Ashis Banerjee