Garrick's Last Bow

The Drury Lane Theatre echoed with farewells, and the 2,000-strong audience cheered to the point of tears. London's most dazzling actor-manager. David Garrick, 59, had made his final bow. Having sold his share of Drury Lane earlier this year for -L-35,000 to Playwright Richard Sheridan, 24, Garrick gave a series of farewell performances that drew crowds from as far away as France. He chose eleven roles calculated to display his unique range and the naturalistic style he pioneered, including adaptations of Lear and Hamlet. "The Garrick" had wanted to appear last of all in his greatest creation, the engagingly villainous Richard III, but his health was not up to it. Said he: "I dread the fight and the fall; I am in agonies afterward." Instead, he appeared in Mrs. Susannah Centlivre's The Wonder, a romantic comedy, then stepped out on the empty stage. His large, dark eyes mournfully scanning the audience, he acknowledged, "This is to me a very awful moment." His friend and mentor Dr. Samuel Johnson agreed. Noting that the final show was a benefit for "decayed actors," Johnson commented acidly, "He will soon be one himself."

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