he was received with such favour that david garrick engaged him for drury lane. kelly also mentions his 'admirable' appearance as hecate in a production of "macbeth", 21 march 1794, at the opening of the new drury lane theatre, in a cast led by john kemble and mrs siddons, the malcolm played by charles kemble in his first public appearance in london. as hecate, bannister was a successor to the celebrated bass richard leveridge (who had composed the "macbeth" music about a century before and performed the role for some forty years)." the tempest" gave bannister a famous role as caliban: 'combining, as he did, a deep and sonorous voice both in speaking and singing, a large and vigorous person, and great force in the management of all his advantages, charles bannister was an exact and stupendous representative of this hag-born monster; no contemporary or successor has given so perfect a delineation. it is impossible to exceed the vigour with which he ejaculated his curses, the humility with which he worshipped the "brave god who carried the bottle", or the appalling revelry with which he made the stage tremble under him, when he shouted "freedom! hey-day! liberty! freedom!" and thundered out his song,"ban, ban, ca-caliban, has a new master, get a new man".' 'with charles bannister, shakspeare's monster died.'