Gilbert, but Carte encouraged Clifford to recreate all his characters afresh. The Times said of his performance in The Yeomen of the Guard, "the final moments in which the heartbroken merryman struggles to hide his grief are played with real beauty. Mr Clifford makes no attempt to imitate his predecessors in the part, and his performance gains immensely as a result."
Gilbert advised Carte to refresh all his characters; Carte encouraged Clifford to create them anew for "The Yeomen of the Guard." The Times praised Clifford's performance, noting that "the final scenes where the sorrowful character tries to hide his feelings are executed with remarkable beauty. Mr Clifford does not try to imitate earlier actors in this role and as a result, his performance is enhanced."