William Wyatt Dimond (1750 – 2 January 1812) was an actor andtheatre manager of the late 18th-century whose career was largely based inBath inSomerset.
The Monthly Mirror for May 1808 made a number of fanciful claims about the origin and childhood of Dimond, perhaps based on information supplied by Dimond himself; it claimed that he had been born in London and that while young his father had died leading his mother to remarry to anaval officer. It further added that Dimond had been sent as a boarder toRichmond Grammar School where he received the rudiments of a classical education and where he remained until the age of 15 when it was claimed a commission was purchased for him in theBritish Army. TheMonthly Mirror stated that his mother not wishing him to go with his regiment to theWest Indies she persuaded him to resign his commission.[1] Dimond was thenapprenticed as achaser,[2] the artistWilliam Hogarth having served a similar apprenticeship about 50 years before. But where Hogarth was content to paint actors Dimond was determined to be one. According to theactor-managerTate Wilkinson, Dimond's good manners and easy-going personality gave him the attitude of a gentleman[3] and he resolved for a career on the stage. His first known theatrical appearance was made anonymously as a 'Young Gentleman, first appearance on any stage' when claiming to be aged 19 he playedRomeo inRomeo and Juliet[1] opposite Miss Mansell asJuliet at theTheatre Royal, Drury Lane on 1 October 1772. He again appeared anonymously as 'A Young Gentleman who played Romeo' when he appeared as Dorilas inMérope in January 1973. When he and Miss Mansell shared a benefit performance in May 1773 he played Moneses inTamerlane.[4] In his diary the theatre's prompter William Hopkins wrote of Dimond 'He is very young a Smart Figure good Voice and made a very tolerable first appearance he met with great applause'.[5] While remaining at Drury Lane for the rest of the season he only appeared on stage for five more nights. While inCanterbury in the summer of 1773 Dimond took on a managerial role at the "Theatre over the butter market"[4] before returning toDrury Lane to appear in minor roles inGarrick's company during the 1773–4 season, his most successful roles being Rovewell inShadwell'sThe Fair Quaker, Radwell inA Christmas Tale, Lorenzo inThe Heroine of the Cave andThe Dauphin inKing John. For his benefit in May 1774 Dimond playedFlorizel inFlorizel and Perdita adapted byGarrick fromShakespeare'sThe Winter's Tale.[6] In August 1774 Dimond was acting inBirmingham while in July 1775 he was at theHaymarket Theatre in London appearing inEldred, a new play.[4]
Dimond could not have realised when he made his first visit to theTheatre Royal, Bath in the summer of 1774 that he would be associated withBath for the next 30 years. He returned to Bath in October 1774 to play a minor role oppositeJohn Henderson inRichard III at theOld Orchard Street Theatre. By this time Bath had become perhaps the most fashionable of the rapidly developing British spa towns, attracting many notable visitors and the Orchard Street theatre being too small to accommodate all who wished to see performances it was expanded to double its capacity by its managers. When Dimond returned for the 1775–6 season he was at last able to play the leading roles he had desired, especially after Henderson went to London in 1777. From 1779 to 1782 Dimond acted oppositeSarah Siddons, playing Jaffier to her Belvidera inOtway'sVenice Preserv'd, Posthumus to her Imogen inCymbeline, Bassanio to herPortia inThe Merchant of Venice, and Lord Townly to her Lady Townly inThe Provoked Husband (1728), an unfinished fragment byJohn Vanbrugh reworked and completed byColly Cibber.[6][7][8]
Dimond was particularly effective in society comedies such asThe Provoked Husband which gave him the opportunity to wear fashionable and extravagant costumes that showed off his graceful body to his audiences.Sheridan considered Dimond's Joseph Surface inThe School for Scandal: 'more consonant to his own ideas when he wrote the part, than anybody else'. However, Dimond also continued to play tragic roles includingRomeo in 1790 andHamlet in both Bath andBristol. Just before his retirement from acting theBristol Journal gave an appreciation of his skills in comic roles but added that his performances in tragedy were too orderly: 'nothing is irregular, nothing is left to chance. ... Hence it is, that if you have little to excite astonishment, you have a great deal to admire'.[6][9]
By now a resident ofBath inSomerset, on 2 December 1779 atWestminster in London (and claiming to be 22 years old) he married Matilda Martha Baker (1757-1823), a Norfolk woman of independent means,[10][11] and their three known children were born and raised in Bath. The elder son,William Dimond, became a "prolific playwright of little quality and a theatrical manager of little more." William Wyatt Dimond's opportunity to manage the theatre in Bath came in 1786 whenJohn Palmer, who acted as his father's London agent and frequently had to travel between London and Bath.[12] Palmer also owned the Theatre Royal inBristol, which now houses theBristol Old Vic. The two theatres shared one acting company, so as Palmer had to move his actors, stagehands and props quickly between Bristol and Bath he set up a coach service which provided safe, quick and efficient transport for his actors and materials. Later, when Palmer became involved in the Post Office, he believed that the coach service he had previously run between theatres could be utilised for a countrywide mail delivery service.[13] He continued to manage the theatre until 1785 when he was appointed as Comptroller-General of thePost Office,[14][15] and handed control to two existing members of the company,William Keasberry and Dimond. As a theatre manager Dimond was extremely popular with everyone - not only with the directors but also with the public and the actors.[6]
Dimond made his farewell performance inBristol on 1 July 1801 as Edgar inNahum Tate'sThe History of King Lear, but he continued in theatre management until his death having been granted a 17-year lease on theOld Orchard Street Theatre in 1799. Probably his greatest achievement was the building of theTheatre Royal, Bath. Opening on 12 October 1805 with a lacklustre performance ofRichard III but Dimond was successful in persuading notable actors from London to make the long journey to Bath, includingSarah Siddons in her final tour in 1811,Dorothea Jordan,George Frederick Cooke,Robert William Elliston,Joseph Shepherd Munden,Charles Kemble andJohn Bannister. At the height of his success as a manager Dimond suffered a stroke on 24 December 1811, and died at his home inNorfolk Crescent on 2 January 1812. TheBath Herald andThe Literary Panorama state that he was aged 62 at the time of his death,[16] which conflicts with the statement that he was 19 in 1773.[4] In his will he bequeathed his property and theatrical interests to his widow.[17] From her their sonWilliam Dimond obtained the management of theTheatre Royal, Bath which he gave up on her death in 1823.[6][18]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
