David Garrick
David Garrick (1717–1779) was a transformative English actor, playwright, and theatre manager who reshaped 18th-century British drama, revitalized Shakespeare performance, and raised the professional stature of acting in his era.
Introduction
David Garrick remains one of the most celebrated figures in the history of English theatre. Born on February 19, 1717 (sometimes recorded 1716) and dying on January 20, 1779, Garrick exerted influence not only as a performer but as a manager, producer, dramatist, and public face of the stage. His innovations in acting style, stagecraft, audience management, and Shakespearean revival left an enduring imprint on the theatrical world.
Early Life and Family
Garrick was born at the Angel Inn, Widemarsh Street, Hereford, England. His family had Huguenot roots: his grandfather, David de la Garrique, fled France following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, eventually establishing his family in England. Garrick was the third child of Peter Garrick and Arabella; the family later moved to Lichfield in Staffordshire, where his mother’s connections lay.
He was educated in Lichfield (Lichfield Grammar School) and later attended Samuel Johnson’s short-lived Edial Hall School, run by Johnson near Lichfield. Garrick and Johnson developed a lifelong friendship.
In youth, Garrick tried his hand in commerce: upon arriving in London around 1737, he and his brother became partners in a wine business. However, the business did not succeed, perhaps because Garrick’s passion lay elsewhere.
Acting Debut & Rise
Garrick’s first forays into theatre were in amateur productions. In 1741, he made his professional debut under the management of Henry Giffard at Goodman’s Fields Theatre, adopting the stage name “Lyddal” initially to avoid family disapproval. That same year he took on the role of Richard III, coached by Charles Macklin, and his performance drew wide notice.
Garrick’s style broke sharply with the declamatory, bombastic acting that was prevalent in his time. He favored naturalism, emotional subtlety, and psychological realism. His portrayal of Richard III was widely seen as a turning point in English acting. After that success, Garrick was engaged for the 1742–43 season at Drury Lane Theatre, which began his long association with that theatre.
Over the next few years, he performed a wide repertoire—Shakespearean tragedy (Hamlet, Lear, Macbeth), comedies, and new works. His breadth and versatility gained him both popular acclaim and critical respect.
Theatre Management & Reforms
Drury Lane Leadership
In 1747, Garrick purchased a share in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in partnership with James Lacy, thus becoming a theatre manager and producer. Under his management, Drury Lane rose to become one of the foremost theatres in England. Garrick remained manager until 1776, during which time he made many reforms.
He introduced consistency in spectacle and production: uniformity in set design, costumes, lighting, and stage effects. He also sought to regulate audience behavior: discouraging talking, applause during scenes, or disruptions, and pushing for more decorum.
He adopted improved stage illumination, better backstage discipline, and more careful rehearsal processes.
He also was active as a play adapter and promoter of Shakespeare, reworking older plays, restoring texts, and making Shakespeare more accessible to 18th-century audiences.
Jubilee & Shakespeare Revival
One of Garrick’s enduring cultural legacies was the Shakespeare Jubilee held in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1769. Though plagued by bad weather, it helped cement Shakespeare’s reputation as England’s national dramatist and spurred public interest in his works. Garrick also built a “Temple to Shakespeare” on his estate at Hampton as a shrine to Shakespeare’s memory.
Personal Life
Garrick married Eva Marie Veigel, a dancer (of German descent), on June 22, 1749. Their marriage was long and close, though apparently childless.
Garrick accumulated wealth from his acting and theatre business, purchased the Hampton Villa, and assembled a collection of Shakespearean and theatrical memorabilia. In his later years he gradually withdrew from management and performance.
He died on January 20, 1779, in London, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, in Poets’ Corner—a rare honor for an actor.
Legacy & Influence
-
Acting Style Revolution: Garrick’s shift toward emotional truth, naturalism, and psychological complexity changed how actors approached roles.
-
Professionalization of Theatre: He elevated acting’s social status, insisting on discipline, respectability, and business sense. Samuel Johnson famously said: “his profession made him rich and he made his profession respectable.”
-
Shakespeare Revival: Garrick’s efforts made Shakespeare central to English national culture and theatrical repertory.
-
Institutions in His Name: The Garrick Club in London is named for him. His Temple to Shakespeare survives as a memorial.
-
Commemoration: Garrick’s image has been widely reproduced; his rituals (jubilee, funeral) reinforced actor-celebrity culture.
Selected Quotes & Attributions
-
On his role in theatre and reputation, Samuel Johnson: “His profession made him rich and he made his profession respectable.”
-
On Garrick’s reinvigoration of Shakespeare: he is often credited with rescuing Shakespeare from relative neglect and restoring his popularity on the British stage.
-
On Garrick’s break from declamatory acting: contemporaries remarked that before Garrick’s emergence, acting was more about stage-presence and rhetoric than psychological depth.
Lessons from David Garrick
-
Innovation within tradition. Garrick balanced respect for classical (especially Shakespearean) texts with fresh performance methods.
-
Professional integrity matters. His drive to make acting respectable changed public perception of a once low-status vocation.
-
Theatre is collaborative. As a manager, Garrick realized that performance, design, audience, and business must work harmoniously.
-
Cultural entrepreneurship. Garrick didn’t just act—he curated cultural memory (e.g. Shakespeare commemorations) and built theatrical institutions.
-
Legacy through public ritual. The Shakespeare Jubilee and his burial in Westminster Abbey helped transform theatre’s place in national identity.