The birth of modern theatre: rivalry, riots, and romance

'The Birth of Modern Theatre' is a vivid description of the 18th-century London theatre scene - a time when the theatre took on many of the features of our modern stage.

A natural and psychologically based acting style replaced the declamatory style of an earlier age.

The theatres were mainly supported by paying audiences, no longer by royal or noble patrons.

The press determined the success or failure of a play or a performance.

Actors were no longer shunned by polite society, some becoming celebrities in the modern sense.

The dominant figure for 30 years was David Garrick, actor, theatre manager and playwright, who, off the stage, charmed London with his energy, playfulness, and social graces.