page_title: William Parsons (actor)
section_title: 1760s and more prominent roles
hierarchical_section_title: William Parsons (actor) / Professional career / 1760s and more prominent roles
context_page_description: William Parsons was a British actor and painter in the mid to late eighteenth century. He appeared mostly at Drury Lane and Haymarket in minor to supporting roles, but also had prominent roles in plays like Volpone and Hamlet.
context_section_description: In 1763, Parsons began working with David Garrick, when Parsons played Filch in The Beggar's Opera at Drury Lane. Parsons would appear in over 200 roles at Drury Lane over the years, mostly in supporting or non important roles.
  Parsons took on the role of the original Nicodemus in Elizabeth Griffith's play Platonick Wife in January 1765 before appearing for the first time at the Haymarket in the role of Dr. Catgut in Foote's The Commissary later that same year. Parsons would appear regularly at the Haymarket during the summers, introducing characters in new comedies. During that season, Parsons appeared in Henry IV, Part 1 as Douglas, in Hamlet as Rosencrantz, in Love Makes a Man and as Robert in All in the Wrong.
  Parsons took on more character driven roles in this time period, with character driven roles such as the snitch-servant Blunt in The London Merchant and as Lord Plausible in Plain Dealer to appearing as Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice and Sir William Meadows in Love in a Village.
  In 1767, Parsons played his most substantial role, Polonius, in Hamlet
caption: Edmund Burton as Subtle (left), Parsons as Face (centre) and David Garrick as Abel Drugger in The Alchemist
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