Event Comment: Mr Lacy a Proprietor of this Theatre made his
first appearance upon the Stage in the part of
Alexander. He is very Tall, & Thin, a good Voice but His Fright took away from it's power--he was rec'ed with Applause.
Mr Garrick wrote a
New Occasional Prologue to introduce him, which was Spoken by
Mr King & rec'ed with great Applause (
Hopkins Diary). Paid 4 days list at #91 8s. 10d. per diem #365 15s. 4d.;
Mr J. French on Acct #10 10s. (Treasurer's Book). [
The Westminster Magazine commented on
Willoughby Lacy's per
formance (Oct. 1774): "His per
formance was far from answering the expectations we had been taught to
form from a friend and pupil of our
English Roscius. Indeed Mr Lacy is a very young man: there
fore we ought not to draw the line of our expectation. His figure is at present lank, awkward, and unengaging; his voice distinctly powerful, but inharmonious; his action outre, vulgar and
forced: his attitudes unnatural, affected and disgustful; and his delivery a continued rant, without proper change, a pleasing variety, or a just discrimination of the necessary difference of tone demanded by the different passions. These...capital defects...are not unsurmountable...The play was prefaced by a new
Prologue, evidently the production of Mr Garrick. It had some humor and was well received. The purport of it was to beg favor
for the hero of the evening, whom it compared to a young swimmer, who had tried to float in two shallow streams, and was now about to venture himself in the great deep. This image is certainly an apt one, though, it is no great compliment to the audiences of
Norwich and
Birmingham."] Receipts: #248 19s. (Treasurer's Book)