Garrick

David Garrick was one of the most talented and most splendid figures of English 18th century theatre. His presence on the stage was electrifying and he combined it with a capacity as an impresario, an ability to lead, inspire and cajole others which made the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, the theatrical light of its age. The 'Garrick fever' that swept London and Dublin in the 1740s, together with his financial interest in Drury Lane, gave him a social standing unequalled by any of his predecessors or contemporaries. Using primary sources McIntyre has been able to reconstruct the daily life of Garrick's theatre. There are constant surprises: the wilful egotism of the members of his company and the capacity of audiences to riot if they disapproved of what they saw on stage. McIntyre demonstrates clearly throughout the book Garrick's central role in the revival of Shakespeare in the middle of the century. Above all, he shows us, from Garrick's diaries and more than a thousand surviving letters, the voice and personality of this most attractive and engaging man.