Robert William Elliston

Robert William Elliston (* April 7, 1774, † 1831) was an English actor and theater manager.

Life

Elliston, born the son of a watchmaker, was educated at St Paul 's School in London, until he ran away from home. He had his first stage appearance in 1791 in Bath in Richard III. There he was later seen as Romeo, as well as in other well-known pieces, both in comedies and in tragedies. He continued his success in 1796 continued in London. He played from 1804 to 1809 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and there again from 1812. Starting 1819, he was himself the tenant of the house, it appeared, among others, Edmund Kean, Lucia Elizabeth Vestris and William Charles Macready.

In 1813 he acquired the Olympic Theatre, and had interest in the patent Theatre Theatre Royal, Birmingham, but ill health and misfortune led him into bankruptcy in 1826, while he had his last appearance in Drury Lane as Falstaff. As lessee of the Surrey Theatre he played almost until his death, which was further accelerated by immoderate alcohol abuse. In Surrey, where he was the first tenant in 1807 and again in 1827, to prevent outside West End patent restrictions on dramas, he presented Shakespeare and other pieces accompanied by ballet music.

Leigh Hunt compared him with David Garrick, Lord Byron thought he was inimitably in conversation comedies and Macready praised his versatility.

Elliston was the author of The Venetian Outlaw (1805 ) and, together with Francis Godolphin Waldron, of No Prelude (1803 ). In both works, he also appeared on itself.

His son was the composer Henry Twiselton Elliston (1801? -1864 ).

Source

• Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition

• Theater actors
• Briton
• English
• Born in 1774
• Died in 1831
• Man