The actor deflected criticism by showing every possible civility to Churchill, who became a terror to the stage. Actor Thomas Davies, in a letter to Garrick, wrote that he blundered in the part of Cymbeline owing "to my accidentally seeing Mr. Churchill in the pit, it rendering me confused and unmindful of my business".
The actor attempted to deflect criticism by displaying respect towards Churchill, who was a formidable presence on stage. Actor Thomas Davies wrote to Garrick that he struggled with his role in Cymbeline due to an unplanned encounter with Churchill in the audience, which threw him off his game and made it difficult for him to perform.