George Vining
(1824-1875)

The English actor-manager George Vining enjoyed a long and successful career. He died at Reading, aged 51, on 17 December 1875.

According to his obituary in The Era (26 December 1875): 'We have regretfully to announce the death, on Friday last, the 17th inst., of Mr George Vining, so long associated with the Management of the Princess's Theatre, and for so many years identified with some of the greatest dramatic successes of the modern stage. Mr George J. Vining, the son of Mr James Vining, the actor, so much esteemed by a past theatrical generation, was originally intended to follow the profession of the law; but, after completing his studies in France, a place at a banker's desk was assigned to him, and his proving unequal to his ambitious hopes, he chose the stage as his favourite pursuit, making his first appearance in London at the Marylebone Theatre, when it passed under the management of Messrs Warner and Watts, as Florizel in The Winter's Tale, August 30th, 1847. His success was sufficiently encouraging, and when Mr Alfred Wigan formed his company for the Olympic Theatre in the autumn of 1853 Mr George Vining was speedily included. He was the original Captain Hawksley in the drama Still Waters Run Deep, and in Retribution, Daddy Hardacre, and other plays produced under this Management, he fairly made his mark. In 1863 Mr George Vining became Lessee of the Princess's Theatre, and for a considerable period had a successful career both as Manager and actor. From the time of his surrender of the responsibilities of that establishment he never appeared again as Manager before the public. He afterwards appeared as an actor before the London public at the Olympic Theatre, where he represented Count Fosco in The Woman in White, when Mr Wilkie Collins's drama was there produced in October, 1871; and in the October of the following year he played at Brighton the hero of Mr Watts Phillip's drama called Marlborough. Mr Vining died at Reading, whither he had gone on a visit from his residence, St John's-park, Highgate-hill, at the age of fifty-one.'