Charles Bannister

Charles Bannister (1738–1804) was an English actor and singer.

He was born in Gloucestershire, but in his seventh year his father moved to Deptford where the young Charles thereafter grew up. He was possessed of 'a manly form, an ardent mind, and an uncommon flow of wit.' He liked to associate with a company of players who visited his neighbourhood, and aspired to their profession. At first thinking of serious drama, before he was 18 he made amateur appearances in Romeo and Juliet and Richard III in Deptford. Drury Lane turned him down, but after successful work in Norwich, Ipswich and other eastern towns, Samuel Foote gave him his first London appearance in 1762 at the Haymarket Theatre, as Will Tirehack in The Orators, opposite John Palmer as Harry Scamper, who also made his debut on that occasion. Bannister remained Palmer's friend thereafter with 'manly firmness and immoveable constancy'. Long afterwards, in June 1787, Palmer as manager of the Royalty Theatre attempted to present dramatic works (including As You Like It), and then other lighter entertainments of the stage, with the encouragement of Arthur Murphy, contrary to Statute. Bannister, even after the legal danger was apparent, remained with him, and was committed for trial, though the warrant was superseded.

His skills, especially in comedy and mimicry, were quickly recognised, but the fine singing voice on which his later reputation stood was not at first in evidence. Bannister was untutored as a singer, but possessed a natural voice which united 'in extraordinary perfection the extremes of a deep bass and high-toned falsetto: and his ear, which was of great delicacy and perfection, enabled him to execute not only pieces of ordinary description, but to represent, with great humour, and without the grossness of burlesque or caricature, many leading performers of the day, both male and female.' William Parke noted that 'Bannister, who never sang out of time or out of tune, did not know one note of music. He had his songs, &c., paroted to him by a worthy friend of mine, Mr Griffith Jones, who was at that time pianist to Covent Garden Theatre.'

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