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, but Carte prompted Clifford to create all his characters anew. The Times commented on his performance in "The Yeomen of the Guard," saying, "the concluding moments where the heartbroken jester struggles to conceal his sorrow are performed with genuine beauty. Mr Clifford does not attempt to mimic his predecessors in this role and benefits greatly from it."