The Private Correspondence of David Garrick with the Most Celebrated Persons of his Time: Volume 1

An 1831 two-volume selection of letters to and from the acclaimed eighteenth-century actor David Garrick, including a biographical account.

Published in 1831, this two-volume collection of letters to and from the acclaimed actor David Garrick (1717–79), selected by Garrick himself and edited by James Boaden (1762–1839), draws back the curtain on the eighteenth century's golden age of theatre. The work includes a substantial biographical account.David Garrick (1717–79) is synonymous with the golden age of English theatre. Widely acclaimed as an actor, he went on to become a shrewd theatre manager at Drury Lane. His years in charge of the Theatre Royal ensured its dramatic ascendancy and burnished his own considerable celebrity. These letters, first published in 1831, reveal Garrick's gregarious nature and shed light on his many friendships with leading ladies, fellow actors, contemporary playwrights, and members of high society. His love of Shakespeare's work is also evident, highlighting Garrick's pivotal role in ensuring the plays became established in the national consciousness. This two-volume collection was edited by James Boaden (1762–1839), who published several theatrical biographies (also reissued in this series). Containing correspondence for the period 1736–74, Volume 1 also includes a biographical account that traces the progress of Garrick's theatrical career.