“In its 80s heyday, Limelight was one of London’s top nightclubs and a hangout for the decade’s biggest celebrities.”
Well, as it happens, I wasn’t even a small celebrity and got chucked out. On the other hand, if I may digress, I was treated by Johnny Gold at his table, at his club in Jermyn Street: Tramp. I got dizzy looking at the drugs – Smarties and talcum powder. I’ve not been back to Tramp but I went back to Limelight on Friday.
“The 19th century Norman Style Welsh Chapel was built in 1888 by James Cubitt. The Grade II listed former Presbyterian church is composed of a galleried central space with an umbrella dome, a large basement, and attached manse.
After many years at the heart of the London Welsh community, the chapel closed for worship in 1982. It was transformed into one of London’s most infamous and hedonistic nightclubs, the Limelight, in 1985. In 2003 the building became a Walkabout pub and following its closure in 2010, was subsequently squatted. In 2012 the long-neglected building was rescued by a philanthropist.” (Stone Nest)
I went to see and hear Bluebeard’s Castle, a short and powerful piece, composed in 1911 by Bela Bartok. It is part of a dark operatic oeuvre; achingly dramatic and beautiful music but an X rated story line.
- “Place: A huge, dark hall in a castle, with seven locked doors.
- Time: Not defined.
Judith and Bluebeard arrive at his castle, which is all dark. Bluebeard asks Judith if she wants to stay and even offers her an opportunity to leave, but she decides to stay. Judith insists that all the doors be opened, to allow light to enter into the forbidding interior, insisting further that her demands are based on her love for Bluebeard. Bluebeard refuses, saying that there are private places not to be explored by others, and asking Judith to love him but ask no questions. Judith persists, and eventually prevails over his resistance.
The first door opens to reveal a torture chamber, stained with blood. Repelled, but then intrigued, Judith pushes on. Behind the second door is a storehouse of weapons, and behind the third a storehouse of riches. Bluebeard urges her on. Behind the fourth door is a secret garden of great beauty; behind the fifth, a window onto Bluebeard’s vast kingdom. All is now sunlit, but blood has stained the riches, watered the garden, and grim clouds throw blood-red shadows over Bluebeard’s kingdom.
Bluebeard pleads with her to stop: the castle is as bright as it can get, and will not get any brighter, but Judith refuses to be stopped after coming this far, and opens the penultimate sixth door, as a shadow passes over the castle. This is the first room that has not been somehow stained with blood; a silent silvery lake is all that lies within, “a lake of tears”. Bluebeard begs Judith to simply love him, and ask no more questions. The last door must be shut forever. But she persists, asking him about his former wives, and then accusing him of having murdered them, suggesting that their blood was the blood everywhere, that their tears were those that filled the lake, and that their bodies lie behind the last door. At this, Bluebeard hands over the last key.
Behind the door are Bluebeard’s three former wives, but still alive, dressed in crowns and jewellery. They emerge silently, and Bluebeard, overcome with emotion, prostrates himself before them and praises each in turn (as his wives of dawn, midday and dusk), finally turning to Judith and beginning to praise her as his fourth wife (of the night). She is horrified and begs him to stop, but it is too late. He dresses her in the jewellery they wear, which she finds exceedingly heavy. Her head drooping under the weight, she follows the other wives along a beam of moonlight through the seventh door. It closes behind her, and Bluebeard is left alone as all fades to total darkness.” (Wikipedia)
Of course Friday night’s production was nothing like as chilling. It was all linoleum, kettle, milk and PG Tips but Judith’s love for Bluebeard shone through and Michael Mayes sang his heart out as Bluebeard. I was persuaded he really is in love with Judith but can only consummate a relationship by killing his wives. Opera is not simple. Opera can be cathartic.