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| Named after | David Garrick |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1831 |
| Founders | James Winston Samuel James Arnold Samuel Beazley General Sir Andrew Barnard |
| Founded at | Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London |
| Type | Private members' club (exclusively a gentleman's club until May 2024) |
| Location |
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| Coordinates | 51°30′41″N 0°07′35″W / 51.511488°N 0.126327°W |
Membership | 1,500 |
Official language | English |
| Affiliations | The arts, especially theatre |
| Website | www |
The Garrick Club is a private members' club in London, founded in 1831. It is one of the oldest members' clubs in the world. Its 1,500 members include at least 160 senior legal professionals and members of the judiciary including King's Counsel (KCs), Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges, at least 10 serving members of parliament (MPs) and dozens of members of the House of Lords, many heads of public institutions alongside many actors, members of the arts, and businessmen.[1] The Garrick was a gentlemen's club with membership restricted exclusively to men. However, in May 2024 the club voted to allow women to be members.[2]
New candidates must be proposed by an existing member and seconded by another member, before supporting signatures are collected from members and the prospective member goes in front of a series of committees followed by a secret vote on membership.[3][4][5] According to the club website, the original assurance of the committee is "that it would be better that ten unobjectionable men should be excluded than one terrible bore should be admitted".[6]
The exclusion of women from membership generated disagreement within the club and criticism from wider society, especially as many figures were seen as members of the British establishment, or cultural elite; this criticism increased after a membership list was published in March 2024.[7][8][9][10][11] In May 2024, the club voted to accept women as members for the first time.[12]
- ^ Gentleman, Amelia (18 March 2024). "Garrick Club's men-only members list reveals roll-call of British establishment". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ "Garrick Club votes to allow female members". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ Skopeliti, Clea (16 September 2023). "Garrick could admit women after barrister U-turns on club rules". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ Malvern, Jack (19 March 2024). "The law that could finally get women into the Garrick Club". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ Young, Toby (13 April 2019). "What it's like being blackballed by an exclusive private members' club". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ Garrick Club (19 March 2024). "About us". Garrick Club official website. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ Sengupta, Kim (20 March 2024). "Head of MI6 and Cabinet secretary quit private Garrick club over female members row". The Independent. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ Gentleman, Amelia (6 July 2015). "Garrick Club votes to continue with ban on female members". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ Bannerman, Lucy (23 March 2024). "Quit Garrick over vote to stay all male, judges told". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ Gentleman, Amelia (16 August 2021). "Cherie Blair backs campaign for Garrick club to admit women". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ Bakare, Lanre; Gentleman, Amelia (22 March 2024). "Equality groups urge cultural elite to give up Garrick Club membership". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ Gentleman, Amelia (7 May 2024). "Garrick Club votes to accept female members for first time". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
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