John Bannister (actor)

John Bannister (12 May 1760 – 7 November 1836), English actor and theatre manager.

Biography

John Bannister was born at Deptford. 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.^[1]

References

^ Chisholm 1911.

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Bannister, Charles". Encyclopædia Britannica. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. Endnotes:
- John Adolphus, Memoirs of John Bannister, 1838.

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Name	Bannister, John
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Date of birth	12 May 1760
Place of birth
Date of death	7 November 1836
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