David Garrick

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 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 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 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 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." A two-volume biography, Memoirs of the life of David Garrick, Esq. : interspersed with characters and anecdotes of his theatrical contemporaries : the whole forming a history of the stage, which includes a period of thirty-six years, was written by Thomas Davies (c. 1712–1785)

The Garrick Club in London, named in his honour.

Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare, built on Garrick's Lawn in the riverside gardens of his Villa near Hampton Court, now restored as a memorial to David Garrick and his life in Hampton, London.

A monument to Garrick in Lichfield Cathedral bears Johnson's famous comment:I am disappointed by that stroke of death that has eclipsed the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure.

A carved stone medallion, a metre or more in diameter, showing Garrick is on display at Birmingham Central Library.Garrick was the first actor to be granted the honour of being buried in Westminster Abbey, in Poets' Corner next to the monument to William Shakespeare. Later Henry Irving, the first actor to be knighted, was buried beside him on the same spot. Laurence Olivier was the third to be given that honour, in 1989.

Cedric Hardwicke portrayed Garrick in the 1935 British film Peg of Old Drury.

A 1937 film called The Great Garrick, directed by James Whale, is a fictional story of how Garrick's acting skills and ego inspire the actors of the Comédie-Française to try and teach him a lesson. Brian Aherne stars as Garrick.

In 1969, Ian McShane played Garrick in an episode of the British television series Rogues' Gallery.

He appears as a character in the plays David Garrick (1864) and Mr Foote's Other Leg (2015).

A School House at King Edward VI School, Lichfield, is named after him.

The lyrics he penned for "Heart of Oak" remain, with William Boyce's music, the official March of the Royal Navy.

Legend has it that he was so engrossed in a performance of Richard III that he was oblivious to a bone fracture, inspiring the theatrical felicitation "Break a leg!".

There was a pub in Milton Keynes named after him in the Theatre District, open from 2000 and closed in 2016.

The Garrick Inn, reputedly Stratford-upon-Avon's oldest pub, is named after him.

The Garrick Bar, a Belfast pub named after him since 1870.

The Garrick's Head, an Urmston, Manchester pub named after him since 1830.

Garrick's Head pub in Bath, behind the Georgian Theatre Royal is named after him.

Five early Lodges of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes were named after Garrick.