LONDON (AFP) – Veteran actors Judi Dench and Sian Phillips have become the first female members of London’s prestigious Garrick Club after the club voted to admit women in May, the Guardian reported on Tuesday.
Founded in 1831 for actors and “refined and cultured men”, the Garrick was one of the few clubs that barred women from entering except as guests of men.
But after much debate, the club opened its doors to members in May and fast-tracked actors’ applications at its annual general meeting on Monday, The Guardian reported.
Oscar-winner Dench, 89, is recognised as one of Britain’s greatest actors of all time for her leading roles in stage and screen, notably playing the role of “M” in eight James Bond films.
Phillips, 91, is best known for her theater career, receiving Tony and Olivier Award nominations for her performance as Marlene Dietrich in “Marlene.”
The club’s membership is a closely guarded secret but is known to include prominent figures in civil service, law, journalism, publicly funded institutions and the arts world.
According to reports, several prominent members had threatened to quit the club if their proposal to admit women was rejected.
In March, after the list of club members was first made public, Britain’s intelligence chief, Richard Moore, resigned.
FILE/ Marking a grand start to the new year and the British film industry at the Garrick Club was the cast of “Heaven saves us from our friends”, a new £1 million comedy currently being filmed at Pinewood Studios. (WATFORD/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty)
In a message to MI6 officials, Mr Moore acknowledged that publicity about his membership risked damaging the organisation’s reputation and, in particular, undermining efforts to attract more women to the job.
Civil service leader Simon Case, Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s chief policy adviser, also resigned as an MP.
A petition in support of women’s admission, launched in 2021, has been backed by Cherie Booth, a prominent barrister whose husband is former prime minister Tony Blair.
She recalled that as a trainee lawyer in 1976, she was left outside while her future husband was allowed in for dinner.
The petition’s organizers said the membership included many judges and senior lawyers, depriving women of networking opportunities in a profession where women are under-represented, especially in senior management positions.
Located in Covent Garden in central London, The Garrick offers its members accommodation, a restaurant, a bar and a library.
Other celebrities reported to be members include “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch and senior minister Michael Gove.
An early member was Charles Dickens.
