John Bannister (actor)
Encyclopedia
John Bannister English
actor
and theatre manager.
. He was the son of Charles Bannister
, also an actor. He first studied to be a painter
, but soon took to the stage. His first formal appearance was at the Haymarket Theatre
in 1778 as Dick in The Apprentice. The same year at Drury Lane
he played in James Miller
's version of Voltaire
's Mahomet the part of Zaphna, which he had studied under David Garrick
. The Palmira of the cast was Mrs Robinson ("Perdita"). Bannister was the best low comedian
of his day. In 1797 Richard Cumberland
staged the premiere of his play The Last of the Family
as a benefit for Bannister. As manager of Drury Lane (1802) he was no less successful. He retired in 1815. He never gave up his taste for painting, and Thomas Gainsborough
, George Morland
and Thomas Rowlandson
were among his friends.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and theatre manager.
Biography
John Bannister was born at DeptfordDeptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
. He was the son of Charles Bannister
Charles Bannister
Charles Bannister , English actor and singer, was born in Gloucestershire, and after some amateur and provincial experience made his first London appearance in 1762 as Will in The Orators at the Haymarket Theatre...
, also an actor. He first studied to be a painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, but soon took to the stage. His first formal appearance was at the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
in 1778 as Dick in The Apprentice. The same year at Drury Lane
Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
he played in James Miller
James Miller (playwright)
James Miller was an English playwright, poet, librettist, and minister.-Biography:Miller was born in Dorset, the son of a clergyman who possessed two considerable livings in the county...
's version of Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
's Mahomet the part of Zaphna, which he had studied under David Garrick
David Garrick
David Garrick was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson...
. The Palmira of the cast was Mrs Robinson ("Perdita"). Bannister was the best low comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
of his day. In 1797 Richard Cumberland
Richard Cumberland (dramatist)
Richard Cumberland was a British dramatist and civil servant. In 1771 his hit play The West Indian was first staged. During the American War of Independence he acted as a secret negotiator with Spain in an effort to secure a peace agreement between the two nations. He also edited a short-lived...
staged the premiere of his play The Last of the Family
The Last of the Family
The Last of the Family is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1797 as a benefit performance for the actor John Bannister.-Bibliography:...
as a benefit for Bannister. As manager of Drury Lane (1802) he was no less successful. He retired in 1815. He never gave up his taste for painting, and Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter.-Suffolk:Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John Gainsborough, a weaver and maker of woolen goods. At the age of thirteen he impressed his father with his penciling skills so that he let...
, George Morland
George Morland
George Morland was an English painter of animals and rustic scenes.-Life:Morland was born in London, the 3rd son of Henry Robert Morland , artist, engraver and picture restorer...
and Thomas Rowlandson
Thomas Rowlandson
Thomas Rowlandson was an English artist and caricaturist.- Biography :Rowlandson was born in Old Jewry, in the City of London. He was the son of a tradesman or city merchant. On leaving school he became a student at the Royal Academy...
were among his friends.