Each year, the Antique Roman Theatre in Lyon welcomes the likes of David Byrne, Blur, Marianne Faithfull, Herbie Hancock and a host of others in a sumptuous setting. Here is an illustrated step back in time to see how theatres were built in the Roman era.
Gladiators fighting to the death against the lions and each other, musicians composing and writing songs live for Emperors, theatre pieces recounting the rise, but not yet the fall, of the Roman Empire, that’s what Lyon’s antique theatre and odeon were built to witness.
The gladiators are no longer here thank heavens, but this massive historical monument still sees music, dance and theatre thanks to the ‘Nuits de Fourvière’ – ‘Fourvière Nights’ festival which take place each year over almost the whole of June and July.
The theatre complex, built on Fourvière Hill, which overlooks Lyon, is one of the city’s most visited attractions and archaeological sites. Seeing it today one would have a hard time believing that it remained largely hidden until the 1980’s, when it was finally completely uncovered and cleaned up.
Dedicated to the Emperor Augustus, and completed in 15 B.C., the Grand Theatre is the oldest such theater in Europe outside Rome, and it saw the rise of Roman history in Europe.
The smaller odeon theatre, just next door, is one of the largest known of its kind, rivaling the Odeon in Athens. It was built by Herodicus Atticus between A.D. 161 and 174.
The first thing you see upon arriving at the site is, fittingly, a display of some of the stone blocks that were used to construct it. The ones here are a part of annexe structures to the theatre and odeon which are yet to be rebuilt. You can see the numbers on them which show where they belong in the ongoing reconstruction jigsaw.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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As you walk up the hill towards the theatre complex, this is what you see to your left. This area is, for now at least, a place to relax for students from the local college and those looking for a place to take a breather from the bustle of city life.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman stone blocks, Lyon France
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The odeon is being prepared for performances by the Berliner Ensemble, the German theatre company established by the playwright Bertolt Brecht and his wife. The company is based in Berlin but has come to Lyon for a few days to perform some of Brecht’s works.
The producer of tonight’s performance is sitting alone on the terraces. I was told by the stage staff that he was reflecting upon various aspects of the stage setup and was not to be disturbed. Photo from a good distance away, in that case.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman odeon, Lyon France
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The odeum, reserved during Roman times for musical performances and lesser known artists, was once sumptuously decorated. Its orchestra floor still contains mosaics of marble and porphyry.
This is what the producer was looking at. It shall surely not look the same during the performance under the lights in the night sky with the artists on stage.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman odeon, Lyon France
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The view from the top of the odeon is spectacular and you can see a part of the city of Lyon stretching away into the distance. Needless to say, the view is spectacular at night.
Michael Cosgrove
View of Lyon France
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Behind the odeon are the remains of houses and shops that existed during the odeon's heyday. The roofs are long gone, but these remains are still fascinating.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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And so on to the grand theatre. That meant a lot of steps.
The Grand Theater’s original design encompassed 89 meters in diameter and held two tiers with each tier seating 4500 audience members. Both an upper covered walkway and a lower walkway were later converted to create a third and fourth tier of seats, bringing the capacity to 10 000 people. Not all the seating remains, but it is still a very impressive site. This is where gladiators fought and better known artists performed.
My eyes drifted to the left when I finally got to the top of the stairs.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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And, of course, way down below is the stage. It has changed its look over the years, but the neutral aspect of its design does not make it an intrusion in the setting. The sound system loudspeaker towers are very subtly concealed behind fine black meshing, for example.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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On my way down towards the stage, I met Alexendra, a journalist from TLM, Lyon’s TV Channel. She was there to shoot some presentation scenes for upcoming events. No cushions for spectators here, but many bring their own. She has all the room she needs to do her shoot. But the theatre will be packed a few hours from now.
Michael Cosgrove
Alexandra Faure, TLM TV, Lyon France
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Artists and performers here see this when they are centre-stage. I have been on this stage myself on a performance night and I remember being slightly unnerved by the impression of being in front of a vertical ‘wall’ of spectators.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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Here is a view of the seating, with two people at the top, eating what I presumed to be their lunch. Nice place to eat lunch, and bon appetit!
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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On my way out of the theatre, at the top, I noticed this area, which may have been an administrative part of the theatre in past times. Or maybe it was a dungeon complex. If only those walls could talk.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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The festival is known for its innovative programming and its international feel. Those performers stopping by this year include David Byrne, Blur, Marianne Faithfull, Tracy Chapman, Herbie Hancock and, if he can leave the heroin alone long enough to get here, Pete Doherty of Libertines and Babyshambles renown. There will be theatre productions and French artists too.
Many concert venues are places where the public are more impressed by their surroundings than the artists themselves, but that’s certainly not the case here. David bowie enjoys playing here and has said so, Iggy Pop is a regular visitor too, and there are many others. Not surprising given that not even they get to play in such wonderful places as this every day.
On my way out I see this structure. I wonder what its function was.
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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I also see this. Readers of my articles know that I often end them with a picture of a bar. This article is no exception. Although this bar is different from the others due to its setting. It's closed here but it will be open this evening, full of people cooling down under a warm and moonlit sky during an evening of music, culture and beautiful surroundings. Lucky them!
Michael Cosgrove
Roman theatre, Lyon France
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