A Peep Behind the Curtain or, The New Rehearsal: 'Let others hail the rising sun: I bow to that whose course is run''

David Garrick was today’s equivalent of a celebrity actor who could also write, produce, manage, and all of it based on prodigious talents. His career dramatically changed the course of what acting was, introducing a realistic style that was quickly imitated by almost everyone.

With his talents as a director, writer and theatre management, together with an ear for what the fickle audience wanted, he helped the Drury Lane Theatre become, and remain, one of the leading theatres in Europe.

His ...