Lyon's Involvement in Theatre and Performance
Illustration from John Bull, a tale Lyon was familiar with as he recorded attending a theatrical performance in February 1826.
Image of William Charles Macready, a popular theatre actor during Lyon's time of attendance.
Image of Maria Foote in character from a popular theatrical farce during Lyon's time of attendance to the London stage.
The popularity of “pictorial dramas” burgeoned in the mid- nineteenth century with even greater attendance by middle-class patrons and a focus on “the use of properties, and carefully studied costume detail...reflected a fashionable interest in archaeology and history” (Victoria and Albert Museum, London). The added attention to historical aspects and high art seem to fuel Lyon’s passion for theatre especially due to his constant reading of popular, well-regarded texts both theatrical and otherwise like Pilote, Shakespeare, and even The Institutions of Physiology. Lyon clearly took time to be an educated man in many fields, from culture to science. Theatre served not just as entertainment, but also as education, for Lyon and especially for the less thoroughly educated middle-class at that time. Lyon’s attention to theatre comes up often throughout the 13-year diary. Each passage varies as his writing style shifts with his values. The diary begins with detailed passages depicting when he woke up, went to town for business, and went to bed as well as what he was reading and who he spent time with. As the years pass, he spends less time writing about his daily schedule and more about his reflections on his peers and cultural pursuits. Due to the diary’s personal, private nature, each passage is particularly telling of Lyon’s character because he had no intended audience but himself. He only recorded what he deemed most important at that time. He goes months without writing at all, then goes on to dedicate whole pages to specific interactions and musings. The mentions of theatre, however brief, carry through most of the diary, even as his writing style and focus shift. Not only does he depict his experiences at the theatre, but also on April 26, 1826 he even deems it pertinent to record that “John’s going to the theatre” (Lyon, 14). Somehow it seems notable that a friend of his is attending the theatre even when he is not. Lyon’s interest in theatrical pursuits is emphasized in his opinionated criticisms of the performances he attends.
From the very beginning of the diary, Abraham takes the time to discuss the following, “Saw Figaro, Woolgathers, and part of the pantomime. Did not like the latter but was very well amused by the opera” (Lyon, 2). His creative growth is illuminated in later passages, as he goes from short, shallow reflections to in depth and often-passionate critiques. According to Lyon, “John Bull…turn[ed] out no good performance” on page 8 in February 1826 but by page 33 (three years later, December 1829), he writes the following during his time in Barbados:
Went in the evening to the theatre to hear a concert given in aid of some charitable fund. The Governor, Sir James Lyon, and most of staff there. Some of the [ ] was very good as we had the choice of the 86 and 19th bands, also a solo horn by Mr. Gracie [?] etc. A solo clarinet by Lintner[?] was excellently executed, 2 songs by Glass[?] were horridly sung and ‘Glorious Apollo’ was highly ridiculous and shameful. (Lyon, 33)
Lyon clearly cares a great deal about the performances he attends, and his passion comes full circle when he actively participates in amateur productions in Barbados. As he puts it, he “assisted twice at the amateur theatre as Lenox in The Lancet and Col. [ ] in Gildery” (Lyon, 34). Tracking the mentions of the theatre and performance throughout the diary provide a clear example of Lyon’s growth over the 13 years he records. He begins his diary as a young man trying to keep a routine and succeed in business, but grows into a well-read man pursuing arts and culture despite his various business failings. He finds his proverbial footing in Barbados and later Jamaica, returning to England to visit friends and further expand his mind.