Bermondsey, 1983, is an ongoing documentary opera project in collaboration with Gareth Mattey which explores the events of the 1983 Bermondsey by-election, in which the closeted bisexual Liberal candidate Simon Hughes won the seat following a violent and bitterly homophobic campaign against the openly gay radical leftist Peter Tatchell.
Scored for two voices and viola, the piece uses verbatim text, visual and musical materials to retell the events of the by-election in the words of the candidates themselves.
We began development on this project in 2019 via residencies at Snape Maltings and ENOA / LOD Muziektheater, funded by the PRS Foundation, Help Musicians UK and the Marchus Trust. Following cancelled plans due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the support of Peter Tatchell himself we are returning to this project with a view to bringing the opera to production in 2022.
ROBERT REID ALLAN 