James T. Tanner

James Tolman Tanner (17 October 1858 — 18 June 1915) was an English stage director and dramatist who wrote many of the successful musicals produced by George Edwardes.

Tanner began his theatre career as a set-painter and actor and toured early on with Auguste van Biene's company, among others, including as Volteface in The Old Guard. Then he became company manager and stage director. In 1892 he wrote his first play, The Broken Melody, which became a success on tour and internationally for van Biene. By this time, Tanner was directing Gaiety Theatre burlesque productions on tour and sometimes at the Gaiety for van Biene, including Faust up to Date in 1892.

George Edwardes noticed the versatile Tanner and hired him as a director and "show doctor" at the Gaiety. He first directed The Baroness for Edwardes, then directed and conceived the innovative musical play In Town (1892), which would help set the fashion for the Gaiety Theatre shows that were to follow. He provided the outline on which Owen Hall would write the book for A Gaiety Girl (1893). He also completed the unfinished burlesque of Don Yuan (1893, with music by Meyer Lutz and lyrics by Adrian Ross), which Fred Leslie had begun to write as a star vehicle for comedian Arthur Roberts but died before finishing, and Tanner also directed the production. Tanner also directed the original Gaiety Theatre production of The Shop Girl (1894) and An Artist's Model (1895) and A Modern Trilby (1895, starring Nellie Farren), both at Daly's Theatre.

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