Arthur Wing Pinero

by

Gül Kurtuluş

• LAST MODIFIED: 17 April 2025
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199799558-0226

Introduction

Arthur Wing Pinero (b. 1885–d. 1934) was one of Britain’s preeminent dramatists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During a career spanning five decades, he wrote fifty-four plays, including witty farces, comedies of manners, and more serious problem plays and social dramas. Pinero’s works were infused with clever scene planning, as well as keen observation of human psychology. He was also the first English dramatist who wrote his plays according to the physical and intellectual suitability of his actors. He was often present during rehearsals, critiquing his cast in the style of a director. Pinero’s success as a playwright followed something of an uncertain upbringing. Born in Islington as the son of a solicitor, his education was cut short at the age of ten due to his family’s financial predicaments. He joined his father’s law office but left in 1874 to pursue acting roles, firstly at Edinburgh’s Theatre Royal and later in Henry Irving’s theatre company. This decision was inspired by his early interest in the theatrical world (following childhood trips to Sadler’s Wells); and his acting experience went on to influence his style as a playwright. His first play, Two Hundred a Year, was produced in 1877. Thereafter, Pinero had early success as a playwright, particularly with Hester’s Mystery (1880), which ran for 308 performances. However, The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (first performed in 1893) could be considered the first work to bring him widespread fame and place his name alongside other popular contemporary dramatists, including Henry Arthur Jones and Oscar Wilde. It was also the first of many plays by Pinero to depict women struggling in society, a popular theme emerging as the idea of the New Woman was taking hold. Such exploration of social issues earned Pinero a solid reputation and benefited actresses, who were given more substantial roles. Aside from writing and directing, Pinero was active in social and political causes and was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was knighted in 1909 and died in 1934, having seen A Cold June, his last and sadly unsuccessful work, performed two years earlier. Although Pinero’s reputation today is more modest in comparison to some of his contemporaries, his enormous popularity and influence in his day is undeniable. His plays were not only entertaining, but also brought societal problems about marriage and class divisions to the attention of his audiences, while skillfully staying inside the bounds of what was considered acceptable. Moreover, his focus on realism and humanism over the decorous morality that characterized many Victorian plays saw Pinero emerge as one of the pioneers of “new drama” in Britain. His most renowned works, including The Magistrate (1885), The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (1893), Trelawny of the “Wells” (1898), and The Gay Lord Quex (1899), are still studied and performed in the twenty-first century.

Biographies

Pinero’s life and long career are tracked in numerous biographical works. Griffin 1991 offers a general introduction to Pinero’s life, from his early years onward. Wearing 1977b is useful not only in probing the playwright’s life and relationships but also in reviewing his works. The entry also deals with Pinero’s interest in other genres such as comedies of manners and romantic musicals. The Gay Lord Quex (1899) and The Beauty Stone (1898) are given particular attention here. Britannica Biographies (Sir Arthur Wing Pinero 2012) and Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia (Sir Arthur Wing Pinero 2021) also provide helpful biographical information about Pinero’s family background. Sutherland 2012 provides information about Pinero’s literary life with emphasis on the recognition he gained as a dramatist. Wearing 1977a presents the “then and now” of London’s major theatres by giving the statistics within subheadings such as Seating Categories, Performances by Genre, and Distribution of Plays by Period in variable tables. This gives the reader valuable information about the innovations in theatre during the 1890s, when many of Pinero’s plays were performed. Encyclopedia Britannica (Sir Arthur Wing Pinero 2023) focuses on the trajectory of Pinero’s career, starting at the beginning, when he was a promising actor. It suggests his major contribution was creating a ‘self-respecting theatre’ by helping to establish social drama. Encyclopedia underscores Pinero’s contributions to English theatre in depicting the double standards about femininity and masculinity.

• “Arthur Wing Pinero.” In Encyclopedia.com. New York: Oxford University Press, Columbia University Press, Cengage, 2024.

  This entry presents Pinero as a distinguished playwright, acknowledged for his progressive ideas about women’s place in society. Particular emphasis is given to his presentations of culture and religion, and their impact on women. The author argues that Pinero’s plots usually covered themes in which women face obstacles due to strict morality of the Victorian era and their efforts to maintain their respectabilities. Evidently, Pinero wanted to draw attention to certain attitudes toward actresses in society.

• Griffin, P. “Arthur Wing Pinero: His Life and Plays.” In Arthur Wing Pinero and Henry Arthur Jones. By P. Griffin, 121–174. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 1991.

  DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-21520-1_5

  Focuses on biographical information related to the playwright. Griffin traces his extensive career as a working dramatist, noting, for instance, that Pinero wrote fifty-four plays and that this productivity made him one of the preeminent English playwrights of this day. Griffin also highlights Pinero’s remarkable success, and his impact on the English drama. Chapter 5 offers a closely detailed summary of Pinero’s life.

• “Sir Arthur Wing Pinero.” Britannica Biographies. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. 2012.

  This biography also focuses on Pinero’s plays. Three of his best farces, The Magistrate (1885), The Schoolmistress (1886), and Dandy Dick (1887) were written for the Royal Court Theatre in London. The editors of this entry focus on Pinero’s production of ‘serious drama’ by adapting French plays. They argue that his plays aptly blended sentiment, seriousness, and comedy that creates a captivating mood for the audience.

• “Sir Arthur Wing Pinero. In Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia University Press, 2021.

  The entry offers all-inclusive information about Pinero’s writing career from the beginning to 1909 when he was knighted. The survey begins with Pinero’s short plays for the theatre, during the period when he perhaps realized his limits as an actor and envisioned a more productive future not as an actor but as a prominent playwright.

• “Sir Arthur Wing Pinero.” In Encyclopedia Britannica. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. 20 May 2023.

  A detailed entry that focuses on Pinero’s unique writing style. The source argues that Pinero’s major contribution was creating a “self-respecting” theatre by incorporating social issues in his plays.

• Sutherland, Lucie. “Sir Arthur Wing Pinero.” In The Literary Encyclopedia. Berkshire, UK: The Literary Dictionary Company Limited. 2012.

  In the Literary Encyclopedia, Lucie Sutherland gives detailed information about Pinero. Pinero was the first president of the Dramatists Club, and it is said that his title as a dramatist was long-lived. This source provides complete information about Pinero’s prolific writing career and the content plays.

• Wearing, J. P. “The London West End Theatre in the 1890s.” Educational Theatre Journal 29.3 (1977a): 320–332.

  DOI: 10.2307/3206178

  In-depth article that explores plays in the Edwardian and Victorian periods. Wearing delves into common themes—including class, gender, and family relationships—and their portrayal in the works of acclaimed playwrights. The playwrights discussed include Henrik Ibsen, Henry Arthur Jones, George Bernard Shaw, and Arthur Wing Pinero. Wearing presents the “then and now” of London’s major West End theatres. Available online.

• Wearing, J. P. “Pinero, Sir Arthur Wing (1855–1934), playwright.” In Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1977b.

  The article gives an invaluable overview of Pinero’s life, with extensive details about his education and the acting career that formed his future interest in playwriting. Wearing tracks Pinero’s career and the relative success of his many plays, ending with a succinct summary of his accomplishments and reputation. Available by subscription.