Born in Derbyshire, United Kingdom in 1886, Bernard Manning sang as a boy in the choir at the Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire before moving to Queensland, Australia, due to ill health. There he continued his vocal training as a tenor at Brisbane Anglican Cathedral.
When his health improved Manning returned to England where he continued his musical studies at the Guildhall School of Music, London and though his voice encompassed a wide range (low D to top A), Sir Landon Ronald insisted on Manning singing bass. Bernard won a scholarship for singing German folksong and studied oratorio, appearing on the concert stage.
Rather than relying on his voice for a living, Manning also studied medicine, qualifying as a veterinarian. When war came (1914 – 1918) he enlisted and fought in France, where he suffered from a poison gas attack but was otherwise uninjured. Manning received a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his services in WWI.
In 1919 Manning joined the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and rose to the ranks of principal baritone in May 1920. His major credits were:
Counsel to the Plaintiff in Trial by Jury (June 1921 – March 1923)
Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore (July 1923 – June 1925)
The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance (June 1921 – June 1923)
The Earl of Mountararat in Iolanthe (July 1923 – June 24)
Pish-Tush (May 1920 – May 1921) and the Mikado (July 1922 – June 1925) in The Mikado
Sir Roderick Murgatroyd in Ruddigore (July 1924 – June 1925)
The Lieutenant of the Tower (May 1920 – May 1921) and Sergeant Meryll (June 1921 – June 1925) in The Yeomen of the Guard
Annibale (May 1920), Luiz (May 1920 – November 1922), and Giuseppe (December 1922 – June 1924) in The Gondoliers
Sergeant Bouncer in Cox and Box (July 1924 – June 1925)
Manning left the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company in June 1925 and returned to Australia under contract to the J. C. Williamson Company, remaining with the troupe for 25 years. Manning appeared regularly in the Gilbert & Sullivan operas with the J. C. Williamson organization between 1926 and 1949.
He was Sir Roderick in the Australian premier of Ruddigore in Sydney in August 1927, and also appeared in Trial by Jury, H.M.S. Pinafore (as Dick Deadeye), The Pirates of Penzance (as the Pirate King), Patience (as Colonel Calverley), Iolanthe, Princess Ida, The Mikado (as the Mikado), The Yeomen of the Guard, and Cox and Box (as Bouncer).
See the full directory of Bernard Manning’s Australian performances and credits.
Bernard Manning retired in December 1950 and moved to Perth, where he married Mildred Hagenauer Le Souef, a biology teacher at Wesley College and daughter of zoologist E. A. Le Souef. His marriage to Mildred was the culmination of a friendship which began in 1930, when Manning visited Col. Le Souef at his home in South Perth.
Once settled in Perth, Manning set about the formation of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of W.A. for the benefit of the many enthusiasts in the city. The society was formed in May 1951, with Manning elected President, supported by JC Williamson alum and soprano Marie Bremner, and journalist and publicist William Beecham (also known at that time as Bill Beecham / Bill Wells) as Vice-Presidents.
The Society’s first production was HMS Pinafore at the Assembly Hall, co-produced by theatre director and actress Nita Pannell and Manning, who also played the role of Dick Deadeye.
Manning then followed up that inaugural season producing The Pirates of Penzance (1953 – His Majesty’s Theatre) which he also appeared in; directed and appeared in The Gondoliers (1954 – His Majesty’s Theatre); directed and appeared in The Mikado (1954 – His Majesty’s Theatre); directed Trial by Jury & HMS Pinafore (1956 – His Majesty’s Theatre); The Mikado (1958 – Capitol Theatre); and finally directed and appeared in Cox and Box & The Pirates of Penzance (1959 – Capitol Theatre).
Bernard Manning passed away at Royal Perth Hospital on 5 May 1961 at the age of 75.
Information, newspaper images and articles, and text courtesy of:
The Gilbert & Sullivan Archive, Wikipedia, The British Newspaper Archive,
Trove – The National Library of Australia, The Australian Dictionary of Biography,
The State Library of WA and HAT – History of Australian Theatre Archive.