David Garrick Theophilus Cibber in his "Two Dissertations on the Theatres" of 1756 believed that Garrick's realistic style went too far: But Garrick's legacy was perhaps best summarised by the historian Rev Nicolas Tindal when he said that: Several theatres have been named after Garrick: David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson. He appeared in a number of amateur theatricals, and with his appearance in the title
David Garrick surmise, "that young man never had his equal as an actor, and he will never have a rival". With his success at Goodman's Fields, Charles Fleetwood, manager of Drury Lane, engaged Garrick to play Chaumont on Otway's "The Orphan" (a role he first played in Ipswich) on 11 May 1742 while he used his letters patent to close down Giffard's theatre. That same month, Garrick played King Lear opposite Margaret "Peg" Woffington as Cordelia and his popular Richard III. With these successes, Fleetwood engaged Garrick for the full 1742–43 season. At the end of the London season, Garrick, along with