In about 1760 he went on the stage in the provinces, and some three years later began to appear in minor parts at Covent Garden Theatre.
His first role of importance was that of Young Marlow in She Stoops to Conquer, at its production of that comedy in 1773, when he delivered an epilogue specially written for him by Goldsmith.
[1] He remained a member of the Covent Garden company until 1783, appearing in many parts, among which were Fag in The Rivals, which he created, and Sir Anthony Absolute in the same comedy.
In 1783 he removed to Drury Lane, where he assumed the Shakespearian rôles of Touchstone, Lucio, and Falstaff.
For a short time in 1792 Lewes assisted Stephen Kemble in the management of the Dundee Repertory Theatre; in the following year he went to Dublin, but he was financially unsuccessful and suffered imprisonment for debt.