The Irish standard., 1905-12-30
The Present Revival of the Irish Drama Rv
Native Playwrights and Actors Recalls
tho Fact
That Ireland Has in the Past Contributed
to tho English Stage Many of Its
Brightest Names.

great Samuel johnson, who was seven
years David's senior, was tutor. This
school having failed, Garrick accom-
panied johnson to London to try their
fortunes, with a combined capital of
four pence. An uncle of Garrick's. a
wine merchant at Lisbon, died leaving
MIN $1,000. He went into the wine
trade with his brother Peter and lost
most of his legacy.
Having strong desire for the stage.
he tried dramatic criticism and au-
thorship. He made his first appear
ance In 1740, in a few scenes, to re-
lieve an actor friend who got sick
at performance in London. A few
months later, under the name Of Lyd-
dal, he began his professional career
at Ipswich. He was successful in his
provincial tour, playing Sir Harry
W1ldair, in Farquhar's Constant
Couple" Chamont in otway's "Or-
phan," and Aboan in Southern's
"Oroonoko."
On his return his application for an
engagement in Drury Lane and Co.
vent Garden failed, and, in October,
l74l, he made his London debut in
an unlicensed theater, Goodman
Fields. When Garrick first came to
London he made the acquaintance of
Mclaughlin, then a young player.
They had similar ideas about the ne
cessity Of revolutionizing the style of
acting then in use, and they were al
ways together talking on that subject.
OF course, Mclaughlin was in front
on the night of Garricks debut, and
| was delighted at the great success of
his comrade. Garrick's reading of the
lines of Richard were revolution and
a revelation. The people beheld the
ascendancy of a dramatic star, and he
was acclaimed a genius.
Pope said of him that he never had
an equal and could never have rival.
The great men of the day cultivated
his acquaintance The obscure theater
became Mecca for theatergoers. 1t
was crowded at each performance, and
Garrick, from small salary, was given
half the profits. He drew away the
audiences from Drury Lane and Covent
Garden, both Of which had refused him
an engagement. They sought him now
and outbid each other for his services.
He accepted the offer of Drury Lane
at 5000 year with benefits. He then
Anglicised his French name, Garrique,
to that by which he has ever since been
known.
At his first season he appeared in
twenty different characters, in tragedy
and comedy. During the summer he
played in Dublin and so large were the
audiences and so heated and dusty be-
came the theaters that an epidemic
occurred which was called the Garrick
fever. 1t was in the Irish city that he
was called "Roseius" On returning to
London he and Macklin and Peg wof-
fngton took house together, but this
did not long continue, as Garrick, with
his inherited French ideas Of economy,
thought Peggy" much too extrava-
CANT.
1t was Garrick who first presented
Macbeth" as Shakespeare wrote it.
1t was wonderful presentation, but
he failed in "Othello." He changed to
Covent Garden, where he was to be
pitted against Quinn, the new against
the old style Of acting. On their first
appearance in "The Fair Penitent," the
audience seemed to favor Quinn, and
when they appeared again, Quinn as
Falstaff and Garrick as Hotspur. Quinn
had the best of it, as he gave a great
performance. In other plays, Garrick
distanced Quinn, particularly in COM
edy parts. At this time he secured a
half interest in Drury Lane. He had
won out against Quinn in most char
acters and the older actor retired from
the contest.
At this time a young Irish actor,
Barry, was as great favorite in Lon