Off with our shoes for a weird wedding (From Salisbury Journal)

Off with our shoes for a weird wedding

12:19pm Thursday 29th May 2008

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HOTEL MEDEA, SALISBURY ARTS CENTRE

WHAT to make of Hotel Medea? A midnight gathering of the curious brought us to the arts centre for this "performance concept" event by Brazil's Secora Ura and London-based project The Urban Dolls.

Some were checking in for the night while others of us were just there for the Zero Hour market, supposed to last until 1am.

A nice woman persuaded each of us (except the lady with back problems) to part with one of our shoes - a heroic tradition, she explained, all the better for us to take to part in the ritual dancing that was to follow.

Oh really? Once assembled, we were encouraged to dance conga style behind hobby-horse Susie and her "rider" into the well of the arts centre and around the suitcase where we were assured the Golden Fleece was housed.

Herded into the centre, the market place came to us as swirling stalls circled us, enticing individuals to enter within.

Not sure why. Then Medea and her brother arrived to be confronted by Jason and his argonauts - bare-breasted and crash-helmeted female warriors - and battle commenced. I think Jason's lot won - certainly we were invited to attend his wedding to Medea preceded by ritual cleansing, oiling and clothing of the bride and groom.

Big celebration, lots of dancing, toasting the happy couple and prophesying a far from happy union to come, usual wedding sort of thing.

It ended up a bit wild, before Medea went and spoilt it all, by dragging in the naked corpse of the brother she had just slaughtered.

By now it was 2am and time to go unless you were an overnight guest and had signed up for the bloodfest to come.

I had had a good time in a weird sort of way but enough was enough, so I escaped into the more civilised surroundings of Salisbury at Chapel turning-out time.

Lesley Bates

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