56-536: David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Samuel Johnson . He appeared in several amateur theatricals, and with his appearance in the title role of Shakespeare 's Richard III , audiences and managers began to take notice. Impressed by his portrayals of Richard III and several other roles, Charles Fleetwood engaged Garrick for
112-412: A Building and erecting a Statue, to Shakespeare read by Garrick and written by his friend, Dr Johnson. The ode promised the patrons that "The drama's law the drama's patrons give,/For we that live to please must please to live." Certainly, this statement could be regarded as succinctly summing up Garrick's management at Drury Lane where he was able to balance both artistic integrity and the fickle tastes of
168-529: A Garrick came. Though sunk in death the forms the Poet drew, The Actor’s genius made them breathe anew; Though, like the bard himself, in night they lay, Immortal Garrick call’d them back to day: And till Eternity with power sublime Shall mark the mortal hour of hoary Time, Shakespeare and Garrick like twin-stars shall shine, And earth irradiate with a beam divine. Several theatres have been named after Garrick: Actor-manager An actor-manager
224-563: A Genius early devoted to the Muses. When he was very young, he gave Specimens of his Poetry; and discovered a Force of Thinking, and Turn of Expression, much beyond his years. He was educated at Foyle College and later entered Trinity College Dublin at age 17 as a sizar under the patronage of the Bishop of Dromore , who may have been related to Farquhar's mother. Farquhar may have initially intended to follow his father's profession and become
280-561: A Romance: Interspersed with Reflections on Virtue and Morality (Edinburgh 1797). At the age of 19, Garrick, who had been educated at Lichfield Grammar School , enrolled in Samuel Johnson 's Edial Hall School . Garrick showed an enthusiasm for the theatre very early on and he appeared in a school production around this time in the role of Sergeant Kite in George Farquhar 's The Recruiting Officer . After Johnson's school
336-524: A clergyman, but was "unhappy and rebellious as a student" and left college after two years to become an actor. His 18th-century biographer claims that the departure was because "his gay and volatile Disposition could not long relish the Gravity and Retirement of a College-life," but another story of uncertain veracity has him being expelled from Trinity College due to a "profane jest." The two accounts are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Farquhar joined
392-418: A collection that included letters, verse, and A Discourse Upon Comedy. The next year, he married Margaret Pemell, "a widow with three children, ten years his senior," who reportedly tricked him into the marriage by pretending to have a great fortune. His 18th century biographer records that "though he found himself deceived, his Circumstances embarrassed, and his Family increasing, he never upbraided her for
448-412: A combination of the works of Shakespeare , popular melodramas , and new dramas, comedies or musical theatre works. The era of the actor-manager was geared to star performances, such as Irving 's role in the 1871 play The Bells . The system of actor-management waned in the early 20th century, as actor-managers were replaced first by stage managers and later by theatre directors . In addition,
504-465: A company performing on the Dublin stage, probably through his acquaintance with the well-known actor Robert Wilks . However, Farquhar was reportedly not that impressive as an actor. We are told that "his Voice was somewhat weak" and that "his movements [were] stiff and ungraceful." But he was well received by audiences and thought to continue in this career "till something better should offer." Some of
560-510: A girl) and to Roebuck's father trying to force Roebuck to marry the woman; however, Roebuck remarks, "Heav'n was pleas'd to lessen my Affliction, by taking away the She-brat." After the favourable reception of Love and a Bottle, Farquhar decided to devote himself to playwriting. He also at this point received a commission in the regiment of the Earl of Orrery, so his time for the next few years
616-526: A graceful Cadence in the delivery. But Garrick's legacy was perhaps best summarised by the historian Rev Nicolas Tindal when he said that: The deaf hear him in his action , and the blind see him in his voice . I am disappointed by that stroke of death that has eclipsed the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure. To paint fair Nature, by divine command, Her magic pencil in his glowing hand, A Shakespeare rose: then, to expand his fame Wide o’er this breathing world,
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#1732771707953672-726: A number of events held in the town to celebrate (five years too late) 200 years since Shakespeare's birth. In a speech made on the second day of the Jubilee in Stratford Garrick recognized the Shakespeare Ladies Club as those who "restor'd Shakespeare to the Stage," protecting his fame and erecting "a Monument to his and your own honor in Westminster Abbey." No Shakespeare plays were performed during
728-510: A nurse when he was deemed old enough to make the journey. David Garrick became a British subject upon his arrival in Britain and later Anglicised his name to Garrick. Sometime after David Garrick's birth the family moved to Lichfield , home to his mother. His father, a captain in the army, was a recruiting officer stationed in Gibraltar through most of young Garrick's childhood. Garrick was
784-477: A permanent clientele that flocked to their productions. They could enlarge their audience by going on tour across the country, performing a repertoire of well-known plays, such as Shakespeare. The newspapers, private clubs, pubs and coffee shops rang with lively debates palming the relative merits of the stars of their productions. Henry Irving (1838–1905) was the most successful of the British actor-managers. Irving
840-634: A season at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in the West End . He remained with the Drury Lane company for the next five years and purchased a share of the theatre with James Lacy . This purchase inaugurated 29 years of Garrick's management of the Drury Lane, during which time it rose to prominence as one of the leading theatres in Europe. At his death, three years after he retired from Drury Lane and
896-796: A total of 18 roles in all in just the first six months of his acting career. His success led Alexander Pope , who saw him perform three times during this period, to surmise, "that young man never had his equal as an actor, and he will never have a rival". With his success at Goodman's Fields, Charles Fleetwood, manager of Drury Lane, engaged Garrick to play Chaumont in Otway's The Orphan (a role he first played in Ipswich) on 11 May 1742 while he used his letters patent to close down Giffard's theatre. That same month, Garrick played King Lear opposite Margaret "Peg" Woffington as Cordelia and his popular Richard III. With these successes, Fleetwood engaged Garrick for
952-561: A wine merchant. He was supposedly a pupil at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School . In 1740, four years after Garrick arrived in London, and with his wine business failing, he saw his first play, a satire , Lethe: or Aesop in the Shade , produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane . Within a year he was appearing professionally, playing small parts at the Goodman's Fields Theatre under
1008-465: Is a leading actor who sets up their own permanent theatrical company and manages the business , sometimes taking over a theatre to perform select plays in which they usually star. It is a method of theatrical production used consistently since the 16th century, particularly common in 19th-century Britain and the United States. The first actor-managers, such as Robert Browne , appeared in
1064-739: Is being explored on this model as actors look to provide themselves with an artistic platform which they have the means to control. Examples include Kevin Spacey when he worked as the artistic director of the Old Vic in London , Samuel West when he briefly ran the Sheffield Crucible and Kenneth Branagh in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. George Farquhar George Farquhar (1677 – 29 April 1707)
1120-564: Is not described as particularly loud. From his first performance, Garrick departed from the bombastic style that had been popular, choosing instead a more relaxed, naturalistic style that his biographer Alan Kendall states "would probably seem quite normal to us today, but it was new and strange for his day." Certainly, this new style brought acclaim: Alexander Pope stated, "he was afraid the young man would be spoiled, for he would have no competitor." Garrick quotes George Lyttelton as complimenting him by saying, "He told me he never knew what acting
1176-467: Is notable. In addition, he adapted many older plays in the repertoire that might have been forgotten. These included many plays of the Restoration era. Indeed, while influencing the theatre towards a better standard he also gained a better reputation for theatre people. This accomplishment led Samuel Johnson to remark that "his profession made him rich and he made his profession respectable." Garrick
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#17327717079531232-592: The Bedford Coffee-house , an establishment patronised by many theatrical and literary people and a location Garrick frequented. He made his debut as a professional actor on a summer tour to Ipswich with Giffard's troupe in 1741, where he played Aboan in Oroonoko at the theatre in Tankard Street. He appeared under the stage name Lyddal to avoid the consternation of his family. But, while he
1288-474: The Duke of Ormonde advised him to do so, promising him another but failing to keep his promise. Early in 1707, Farquhar's friend Wilks visited him; Farquhar was ill and in distress, and Wilks is said to have "cheered him with a substantial present, and urged him to write another comedy." This comedy, The Beaux' Stratagem , was given its première on 8 March 1707; we know from Farquhar's own statement prefacing
1344-407: The 19th century, the negative reputation of actors was largely reversed, and acting became an honored, popular profession and art. The rise of the actor as celebrity provided the transition, as audiences flocked to their favorite "stars." A new role emerged for the actor-managers who formed their own companies and controlled the actors, the production, and the financing. When successful, they built up
1400-621: The Body, Sprawling of the Fingers, slapping the Breast and Pockets:-A Set of mechanical Motions in constant Use-the Caricatures of gesture suggested by pert vivacity,-his pantomimical Manner of acting every Word in a Sentence, his Unnatural Pauses in the middle of a sentence; his forc'd Conceits; -his wilful Neglect of Harmony, even where the round Period of a well express'd Noble Sentiment demands
1456-729: The Cheat, but behaved to her with all the Delicacy and Tenderness of an indulgent Husband." He was engaged in recruiting for the army, due to the War of the Spanish Succession , for the next three years, writing little except The Stage Coach in collaboration with Peter Motteux ; this was an adaptation of a French play. He drew on his recruiting experience for his next comedy, The Recruiting Officer (1706). However, Farquhar had to sell his army commission to pay debts, reportedly after
1512-626: The Jubilee, and heavy rain forced a Shakespeare Pageant to be called off. The Pageant was first staged a month later at Drury Lane Theatre under the title The Jubilee and proved successful enjoying 90 performances. The song " Soft Flowing Avon " was composed by Thomas Arne , with lyrics by Garrick, for the Jubilee. Garrick would manage the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, until he retired from management in 1776. In his last years he continued to add roles to his repertoire; Posthumus in Cymbeline
1568-498: The Spanish generals in the drama. Forgetting to exchange his sword for a foil before enacting this scene, Farquhar severely wounded Price, the actor playing Vasquez. Although Price recovered, Farquhar resolved after this mishap to give up acting for good. Farquhar then left for London, "possibly with a draft of his first play in his portmanteau." Some writers tie his move to that of his friend Wilks, who had received an offer from
1624-465: The end of World War II a combination of social, financial and technological factors, combined with the rising popularity of film and radio, lead to the diminishing of the actor-manager system, with its last two great exponents being Sir Donald Wolfit and Sir Laurence Olivier , both of whom were actively working within a (by then) old fashioned framework. Though no longer the standard practice, modern actor-managers do exist and increasingly fringe work
1680-866: The full 1742–43 season. At the end of the London season, Garrick, along with Peg Woffington, traveled to Dublin for the summer season at the Theatre Royal, Smock Lane . While in Dublin, Garrick added two new roles to his repertoire: Shakespeare's Hamlet , Abel Drugger in Ben Jonson 's The Alchemist (a role that earned him much acclaim) and Captain Plume in Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer . Some of his success could be attributed to one of his earliest fans, John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork , who wrote letters to many noblemen and gentlemen recommending Garrick's acting. His writings led Garrick to exclaim that it must have been
1736-884: The late 16th century, to be followed by another Robert Browne (no relation) and George Jolly in the 17th century. In the 18th century, actor-managers such as Colley Cibber and David Garrick gained prominence. The system of actor-management generally produced high standards of performance, as demonstrated by such 19th-century actors as William Macready , Charles Wyndham , Henry Irving , Frank Benson and Herbert Beerbohm Tree , by husband-wife teams such as Squire Bancroft and Effie Bancroft , Frank Wyatt and Violet Melnotte , William Hunter Kendal and Madge Robertson Kendal and Thomas and Priscilla German Reed , and by women stars, such as Lucia Elizabeth Vestris , Lucy Escott , Selina Dolaro , Evelyn Millard , Sarah Bernhardt , Sarah Thorne , Gertrude Kingston , Emily Soldene , Laura Keene and Lydia Thompson , among many others. In
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1792-538: The management of Henry Giffard . The Goodman's Fields Theatre had been shuttered by the Licensing Act 1737 which closed all theatres that did not hold the letters patent and required all plays to be approved by the Lord Chamberlain before the performance. Garrick's performances at the theatre were a result of Giffard's help with Garrick's wine business. Giffard had helped Garrick win the business of
1848-477: The manager of Drury Lane to come to London and join that theatre, and Wilks is also credited with encouraging Farquhar's efforts at writing plays. Farquhar's first comedy, Love and a Bottle , was premiered in 1698; "for its sprightly Dialogue and busy Scenes," it is said to have been "well received by the Audience." Called a "licentious piece" by one scholar, and cited as proof that Farquhar had "absorbed
1904-502: The public. After the Woffington affair, there were several botched love affairs, including possibly fathering a son with Jane Green . Garrick met Eva Marie Veigel (1724–1822), a German dancer in opera choruses who emigrated to London in 1746. The pair wed on 22 June 1749 and were preserved together in several portraits, including one by William Hogarth . Hogarth also made several drawings and paintings of them separately. The union
1960-413: The published version of the play that he wrote it during his sickness: The reader may find some faults in this play, which my illness prevented the amending of; but there is great amends made in the representation, which cannot be match'd, no more than the friendly and indefatigable care of Mr. Wilks, to whom I chiefly owe the success of the play. Farquhar died on 29 April 1707, not quite two months after
2016-554: The reason he was "more caressed" in Dublin. Five years after joining the acting company at Drury Lane, Garrick again traveled to Dublin for a season where he managed and directed at the Smock Alley Theatre in conjunction with Thomas Sheridan , the father of Richard Brinsley Sheridan . After his return to London, he spent some time acting at Covent Garden under John Rich while a farce of his, Miss in Her Teens ,
2072-653: The riverside at Hampton to house his collection of memorabilia. Hogarth collaborated with Garrick on the furnishing of this temple, and their relationship to, and self-identification with, Shakespeare has been extensively examined by Robin Simon . In September 1769 Garrick staged the Shakespeare Jubilee in Stratford-upon-Avon . It was a major focal point in the emerging movement that helped cement Shakespeare as England's national poet . It involved
2128-713: The roles reportedly played by Farquhar were Lennox in Shakespeare's Macbeth , Young Bellair in The Man of Mode by George Etherege , Lord Dion in Philaster by Beaumont and Fletcher , and Guyomar in The Indian Emperor by John Dryden . But while he was performing in the Dryden play, an accident on stage put an end to Farquhar's acting career. As Guyomar, Farquhar was supposed to "kill" Vasquez, one of
2184-632: The stage, he was given a lavish public funeral at Westminster Abbey where he was laid to rest in Poets' Corner . As an actor, Garrick promoted realistic acting that departed from the bombastic style that was entrenched when he first came to prominence. His acting delighted many audiences and his direction of many of the top actors of the English stage influenced their styles as well. During his tenure as manager of Drury Lane, Garrick also sought to reform audience behaviour. While this led to some discontent among
2240-401: The stock topics, character-types, and situations of Restoration comedy" by another, the play deals with Roebuck, "An Irish Gentleman of a wild roving Temper" who is "newly come to London. " The general character of the play can be evaluated by considering that in the opening scene, Roebuck tells his friend Lovewell that he has left Ireland due to getting a woman pregnant with twins (a boy and
2296-483: The system of actor-management was adversely affected by factors such as the increasing cost of mounting theatrical productions, more corporate ownership of theatres, such as by the Theatrical Syndicate , Edward Laurillard and The Shubert Organization , a trend toward ensemble-style acting, and a move towards the financial security offered by long runs rather than rotating plays for a short period. After
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2352-445: The theatre-going public, many of his reforms eventually did take hold. Garrick also sought reform in production matters, bringing an overarching consistency to productions that included set design , costumes and even special effects . Garrick's influence extended into the literary side of theatre as well. Critics are almost unanimous in saying he was not a good playwright, but his work in bringing Shakespeare to contemporary audiences
2408-570: The third of seven children and his younger brother, George (1723–1779), served as an aide to David for the remainder of his life. The playwright and actor Charles Dibdin writes that George, when on occasion discovering his brother's absence, would often inquire "Did David want me?" Upon Garrick's death in 1779, it was noted that George died 48 hours later, leading some to speculate that David did indeed want him. His nephew, Nathan Garrick, married Martha Leigh, daughter of Sir Egerton Leigh , and sister of Sir Samuel Egerton Leigh, author of Munster Abbey;
2464-565: Was a dozen dukes a night at Goodman's Fields". Following his rousing performance, Garrick wrote to his brother requesting withdrawal from the partnership to devote his time completely to the stage. Having found success with Richard III, Garrick moved onto several other roles including Tate's adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear and Pierre in Otway's Venice Preserv'd as well as comic roles such as Bayes in Buckingham's The Rehearsal ;
2520-579: Was acted at Drury Lane and proved a great success, helped considerably by his friend Wilks' portrayal of the character of Sir Henry Wildair (a performance that Farquhar himself praised generously in his "Preface to the Reader" when the play was published). The playwright followed up with a sequel, Sir Harry Wildair , the following year, and in 1702 wrote the comedies The Inconstant and The Twin Rivals . Also in 1702, Farquhar published Love and Business,
2576-469: Was also produced there. With the end of the 1746–1747 season, Fleetwoods' patent on Drury Lane expired in partnership with James Lacy , Garrick took over the theatre in April 1747. The theatre had been in decline for some years, but the partnership of Garrick and Lacy led to success and accolades. The first performance under Garrick and Lacy's management opened with an Ode to Drury Lane Theatre, on dedicating
2632-526: Was among his last famous roles. Shortly before his death he worked on the production of The Camp with Sheridan at Drury Lane and caught a very bad cold. The Camp satirized the British response to a threatened 18th-century invasion by France , leading some to jokingly claim that Garrick was the only casualty of the ultimately abandoned invasion. He died less than three years after his retirement, at his house in Adelphi Buildings , London, and
2688-539: Was an Irish dramatist. He is noted for his contributions to late Restoration comedy , particularly for his plays The Constant Couple (1699), The Recruiting Officer (1706) and The Beaux' Stratagem (1707). Born in Derry , Farquhar was one of seven children born to William Farquhar, a clergyman of modest means. The author of Memoirs of Mr. George Farquhar , a biographical sketch prefixed to certain 18th-century editions of his works, claims that Farquhar discovered
2744-671: Was born at the Angel Inn, Widemarsh Street, Hereford in 1717 into a family with French Huguenot roots in Languedoc , Southern France . His grandfather, David Garric, was in Bordeaux in 1685 when the Edict of Nantes was abolished, revoking the rights of Protestants in France. Grandfather Garric fled to London and his son, Peter, who was an infant at the time, was later smuggled out by
2800-416: Was childless but happy, Garrick calling her "the best of women and wives", and they were famously inseparable throughout their nearly 30 years of marriage. Garrick's increasing wealth enabled him to purchase a palatial estate for Eva Marie and himself to live in, naming it Garrick's Villa , that he bought at Hampton in 1754. He also indulged his passion for Shakespeare by building a Temple to Shakespeare on
2856-496: Was closed, he and Garrick, now friends, traveled to London together to seek their fortunes. Upon his arrival in 1737, Garrick and his brother became partners in a wine business with operations in both London and Lichfield with David taking the London operation. The business did not flourish, possibly due to Garrick's distraction by amateur theatricals. Playwright Samuel Foote remarked that he had known Garrick to have only three quarts of vinegar in his cellar and still called himself
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#17327717079532912-452: Was divided between the vocations of soldier and dramatist. It was also at about this time that Farquhar discovered Anne Oldfield , who was reading aloud a scene from The Scornful Lady at her aunt's tavern. Impressed, he brought her to the notice of Sir John Vanbrugh , and this led to her theatrical career, during which she was the first performer of major female roles in Farquhar's last comedies. In 1700, Farquhar's The Constant Couple
2968-561: Was interred in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey . Mrs. Garrick survived her husband by 43 years, living to the age of 98. His great-grand-niece was the soprano Malvina Garrigues and her first cousin, the Danish-American doctor Henry Jacques Garrigues . Perhaps it was Garrick's acting, the most showy of his careers, that brought him the most adulation. Garrick was not a large man, only standing 5'4", and his voice
3024-489: Was renowned for his Shakespearean roles, and for such innovations as turning out the house lights so that attention could focus more on the stage and less on the audience. His company toured across Britain, as well as Europe and the United States, demonstrating the power of star actors and celebrated roles to attract enthusiastic audiences. His knighthood in 1895 indicated full acceptance into the higher circles of British society. The 19th-century repertoire usually consisted of
3080-445: Was successful under Giffard, the managers of Drury Lane and Covent Garden rejected him. On 19 October 1741, Garrick appeared in the title role of Richard III . He had been coached in the role by the actor and playwright Charles Macklin and his natural performance, which rejected the declamatory acting style so prevalent in the period, soon was the talk of London. Of his performance at Goodman's Fields, Horace Walpole remarked, "there
3136-508: Was till I appeared." Even James Quin , an actor in the old style remarked, "If this young fellow be right, then we have been all wrong." While Garrick's praises were being sung by many, there were some detractors. Theophilus Cibber in his Two Dissertations on the Theatres of 1756 believed that Garrick's realistic style went too far: his over-fondness for extravagant Attitudes, frequently affected Starts, convulsive Twitchings, Jerkings of
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