The Fountain pub, also known as “Aunty’s”, was a safe haven for LGBTQIA+ people in Walsall. While it closed its doors in 1968, it has inspired Birmingham Opera’s upcoming mini opera
BY ALICE BATEMAN, IMAGE PROVIDED
“You’re in the right place, bab.” These are the words sung to a young gay man as he walks nervously through the door of The Fountain pub in Walsall one evening in September 1965. The Fountain, popularly known as Aunty’s, was a safe haven for LGBTQIA+ people at a time when many had to hide their true selves. The pub, which closed in 1968, is the inspiration for Birmingham Opera’s latest mini opera.
The opera tells the story of 18-year-old Sam, who is a passionate supporter of West Bromwich Albion Football Club but feels excluded by the open homophobia of fellow fans. After attending an evening match, he catches the bus to nearby Walsall. Nervous and hesitant, he steps through the door of Aunty’s to a warm welcome in a place where he doesn’t need to hide who he is.
Birmingham Opera’s mission is to take opera to local communities in the West Midlands. An important element of their work is the production of mini operas, which they co-create with local people, using opera to help them tell their stories.
Sebastian Lovell-Huckle of Birmingham Opera explained: “We felt that the borough of Sandwell was really underrepresented in our work and that mini opera was a way of involving Sandwell people, We had the idea of an opera on LGBTQIA+ safe spaces and, after deciding to tell the story of Aunty’s and linking to a football match, we found out about the Proud Baggies (the West Bromwich Albion LGBT supporters’ group) and approached them about working with us.”
Piero Zizzi of the Proud Baggies told me: “We had an initial meeting with Birmingham Opera, who were impressed with the work we have done to help LGBTQIA+ supporters reconnect with their club. We later held workshops with them at which our members talked about their experiences. Some of the actual words of Proud Baggies have ended up in the libretto.”
The libretto was written by mezzo-soprano Joanna Harries. She admits to having felt daunted by the prospect. “This is the first time I’ve co-created a work like this from the very beginning, and I also knew very little about football. I have learned a lot. The Proud Baggies were open and engaged and helped make the experience joyful.”
I asked her what opera brought to the telling of the story. “Opera is not just words but also music. There’s something deeply raw about the human voice that I think can reveal the inner world of the characters,” she reflected.
I spoke to three of the Proud Baggies who attended the workshops. Claire is a trans woman who found her involvement gave context to her own experiences. “Things were so different then, yet the struggle for acceptance is essentially the same. The football aspect made it even more relatable,” said Clare.
Likewise, Vicky learned a lot from the opera workshops: “I actually work in Walsall, and I had never heard of Aunty’s. It is the story of a gay man, but very relatable to me as a lesbian. I have also had to deal with shame and stigma and the struggle to accept who I am. This is my history too.“
I also heard from George*, who’s new to the LGBTQIA+ scene and still not fully out. He said, “I am still nervous about entering LGBTQIA+ venues and can understand people who walk past the door because their nerve has failed them, as I am sure some people did at Aunty’s”
Since the 1960s, LGBTQIA+ venues have come out of the closet, but many are now under threat because of redevelopment and soaring rents. I asked Vicky whether she thinks venues are still important. “Absolutely. As a group, we regularly meet up in Birmingham’s Gay Village because the pubs and clubs there are still the only places where many people can be their true selves.”
I agree with this sentiment, and that is why the story of Aunty’s is so important. Using opera to tell this tale is intriguing for me too. I am as excited as the Proud Baggies to see the production, which Joanna promised me, will have heart and grit. Casting is underway, with a view to the first performance being later in the summer.
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