Lianne Dillsworth is the author of the novel Theatre of Marvels, which blends a gripping crime story with an exploration of racial identity as it probes the hidden history of Victorian London. Unfolding in the world of nineteenth-century variety shows, the novel centers on an ambitious young Black actress who has risen above her origins.
What is this book about?
The Theatre of Marvels is set in the 19th century, which is the Victorian period. It talks about Zillah, and she’s the star of the show at a variety theatre, and she’s clawing her way up to society one performance at a time, and no one can know her deception because she’s playing the role of an African warrior. Really, she was born and raised in London, and none of the crowd can know of her deception. So, another act at the variety theatre goes missing and she goes on a search for answers to find this woman all over London. She’s running with people in high society, in Mayfair, but then she’s also down by the docks and speaking to the criminal gangs there. The question is, will she find this woman and be the maker of her own fate?
What inspired you to write this book?
I did a master’s in Victorian studies a few years back, and I got into Victorian popular culture. It’s a time that a lot of people write about, but you never really get to see Black heroines in these sorts of stories, so that was important to me. That period was a long time ago, but we’re dealing with some of the same issues. It feels like, at that time, there was a sort of big push with the Industrial Revolution, and we’ve had a massive tech push in our century. It’s just trying to find the parallels in that, so it’s a time that’s quite far out but still feels familiar.
What are some personal experiences you had that relate to this book?
With my lead character, she is desperate to make a better life for herself and it’s all about the challenges that you would go through to do that, but also the compromises you’re prepared to make for yourself and how you come to terms with that. Some of those things where you’re not sure if is it worth it, or should you be doing this. I think that’s something that I related to, but also, the idea that you have so many changes in the role of women at that time. I just really wanted something that showed someone brash, and quite gutsy, and just being able to showcase the variety of types of people at that time, which we don’t get to see much of at all.
