ABSTRACT
Now in his seventies, Macklin, still resenting Garrick forty years after the actors’ strike, decided for the first time to play Macbeth, a role that many considered to be Garrick’s exclusive property. Followers of Garrick caused a riot at Covent Garden theatre, aimed at driving Macklin off the stage. Fearing that the rioters would destroy the theatre, manager George Colman refused to allow Macklin to perform on his stage. Macklin brought a lawsuit against the rioters for conspiring to deprive him of his livelihood. Chief Justice Lord Mansfield ruled in his favor, distinguishing between a conspiracy and the right of an audience to express its dislike of a performance. Macklin also sued Colman for breach of contract, which was resolved through voluntary arbitration.
