Bermondsey, 1983, Peter Tatchell Fights Homophobia. Peter Tatchell was the Labour candidate in a 1983 by-election for the Bermondsey parliamentary seat. A bitter and fractious campaign extensively targeted Peter’s gay rights advocacy and left-wing politics. The newspapers called it the “Battle for Bermondsey”, and one asked voters, “Which queen will you vote for? Her Majesty or ‘Red Pete’ Tatchell.
Simon Hughes of the Liberal party (who came out in 2006!) won the seat in the largest swing of any by-election in British political history. This is the 4oth anniversary of that infamous election.
Produced and presented by Forensis Music Theatre with music by Robert Reid Allan
and words by Gareth Mattey. This new multi-media verbatim opera interrogates this campaign’s personal and political impact and its long shadow on British politics, using the very words of those who lived through it.
