his time as producer and director, Rich had multiple battles with his acting companies and rival managers, including Colley Cibber. In Cibber's Apology, he blames the degradation and skyrocketing costs of play productions on Rich. The general opinion of satirists was that Cibber was thoroughly as guilty as Rich, and the Cibber children went on to carry forth the habits of their father, just as John Rich carried forth and exaggerated the habits of his. Cibber's Drury Lane and Rich's Lincoln's Inn (and then Covent Garden) theatres were in competition throughout Rich's lifetime. Indeed, the two theatres twice put on the same play at the same time, with Romeo and Juliet and King Lear in 1756–57. Rich's company also staged a number of rarely seen Shakespearean plays, among them Cymbeline. Though he may have been portrayed poorly by his rivals, Rich had earned a reputation for being a good manager among other players, for good business practices, as well as supporting actors who had since left the stage. After Rich's passing, pantomime was criticized as losing the artistry he exhibited with his performances, relying instead more on spectacle and choral numbers. It wasn't until after his death, that many of his rivals, David Garrick included, would recognize his work. Garrick even said his pantomime performances were unmatched in his time. Notes References External links The Theatre History Encyclopaedia Entry on Rich 1692 births 1761 deaths British theatre managers and producers