A rehearsal of Zanga; or Young Roscius instructed at St. Anns Hill.

William Henry West Betty, or Young Roscius, also called Master Betty ( 1791-1874), was an English actor who won instant success as a child prodigy. His debut was in Belfast, before he was 12, in an English version of Voltaire’s Zaïre. Later he played the great tragic roles of Shakespeare at Covent Garden and Drury Lane, where he received an unprecedented salary. George III presented him to the Queen, and William Pitt on one occasion adjourned the House of Commons so that members could see Master Betty’s performance as Hamlet. In 1808 he made his final appearance as a boy actor and entered Christ’s College, Cambridge. His attempt in 1812 to perform again was ill received. He retired completely in 1824 and lived off his fortune. Zanga, is a fictional character in the Edward Young's Revenge. Published on April 1805 by Wm. Holland, Cockspur Street, London, 1805.

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