Review: Velvet Keys & Dusty Strings

[Written by Dale Butler]

Running a busy nightclub, the Clayhouse Inn, was a great story told with research and lots of examples of what manager Choy Aming had to do to keep the facility from closing after he witnessed his competition collapse. Audiences from August 14th to August 16th, 2026 were awestruck by the beauty of “Rosalie Gardens” on 35 Angle Street, Hamilton and the evolution of an untold story.

The research highlighted 12-plus places you could patronize for local and international entertainment in one night. With so much going on, for our size, Bermuda was really the entertainment capital of the Atlantic and Caribbean. The island, from the 1950s to 1980s, was flooded with venues offering a variety of shows. In one night you could visit Mount Area Restaurant and Nightclub in St. David’s, Atlantic Beach Club in Warwick, Angel’s Grotto in Smith’s Parish, and many more. Added to them were patios like Unity Patio, Tab Bassett’s Patio, Chili’s Patio and then several nightclubs like the 40 Thieves with big local and international shows in one night, and later adding Disco 40. We had Four Aces Club and Flavors Discotheque. However, the trend started to change.

In the midst of all of this was the development of the Clayhouse Inn, which was opened in 1952 by Ewart D.A. Brown with a small restaurant, and I quote: “Our terrace with our lovely Bermuda beauties.”

Bermudian travel agent and entrepreneur Walter ‘Dickie’ Green organized an annual tour to the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. There he met Choy and told him he should leave Trinidad and bring his skills to Bermuda. After a few years of speaking with Mr. Green and the Bermudians on the tours, Choy came. Upon his arrival in 1967, he was offered a job at the Clayhouse Inn. Located by the sea, he immediately saw its potential. With promoters like Maria Benn, Olive Trott and Percy Paynter, to name a few, he encouraged them to use Clayhouse Inn regularly for beauty pageants, variety nights and overseas performers. As a result, the facility gained a reputation for being hot, as the place to be seen.

Choy was also impressed with the beauty of the island. Before you know it, he started redeveloping Clayhouse Inn from a casual take-out with light entertainment into a night club.

On his arrival, he was also fascinated with how we spoke and did not know what a “bye” was, or “chingas,” and when he asked children diving off the rocks at the property what they were doing they said “taking a jackknife” – that took him a while to realize it was a dive and not a dance with a knife. He was also lost when he heard Bermudians say they came to the Clayhouse Inn “just for the purpose” – meaning solely to cause trouble or instigate it. It’s interesting how the building, its location and activity made it the place to mention when you went to court even if you lived in Somerset and the magistrate asked you where you lived, you said: “near Clayhouse Inn.”

The decline in the industry was heralded in 1983 by the closing of the Coral Island Hotel in November of that year. Later, for two consecutive years, in 1987 and 1988, the island saw fifteen facilities for tourists close, including the 478-bed Bermudiana Hotel, while no new facilities opened. Overall, between 1983 and 2002 the tourism industry suffered a net closure of 43 properties, reducing the bed count by 3,168.

‘Velvet Keys & Dusty Strings’ was brought to life with a variety of things Choy experienced as a nightclub owner and gave the audience several opportunities to hear Richard Barnes who has visited Bermuda more than 25 times with his wife Beth. In preparation for his starring role, Richard learned 50 calypso songs which immediately grabbed the attention of the audience. He was joined on stage by guitarist Eugene ‘Stacker’ Joell and conga player Dennis Bean. The only thing missing at the three venues was smoke. However, Nina Simone [Samone Outerbridge] even brought that to life when she chastised a patron who began to talk during her performance. You could just see the smoke coming out of her ears. It was a hot moment in the play when the culprit sat down and it all was executed with the audience feeling a chill.

The first evening, at Rosalie Gardens, Bermuda’s First House of Music, the distinguished patron was well-known poet, dancer and actress, June Caisey. The second night the show stole the hearts and minds of Choy’s two sons: Choy Jr. and Chang, who were the distinguished patrons.

The audience even had lines and the two nights with a 3-course meal were appreciated by all. Unfortunately, the third night patrons could not attend so they missed a spectacularly decorated stage with plants, Choy’s desk and a host of vinyl music albums that illustrated the tremendous talents of Bermudian performers.

The comments written at the end of the show; to bring it back next year, will see its return in August 2027. Don’t miss it because you will get an insight into how Nina Simone was in the process of coming to perform at the Clayhouse Inn when the nightclub burned down. The story did not end there. Additional revelations stunned the audience and will stun you as well next year.

Velvet Keys & Dusty Strings was indeed an outstanding success, and yet another triumph from Atlantic Publishing House who brought to the stage 10 such theatrical local plays that touched the hearts and minds of the audience with the last being “There is a Rumble in the All Saints Gingerbread House.” “Velvet Keys” overwhelmed the audience with Bermuda’s musical heritage. Bermudian promoters, highlighted, played a big role in the growth and development of local and international shows from the Clayhouse Inn to the Rosebank Theatre and numerous nightclubs.

They were talented, courageous and comprehensive in every undertaking; as revealed in the numerous articles written by Ira Philip, or referenced in the book “Music On The Rock.” The research was an eye-opener to many; which many will welcome next year when it returns exclusively at The Leopards Club, unless we receive requests from other clubs to bring this tour de force to their venues.

- Dale Butler should be commended for his extensive research and creative re-creation of Choy and his beloved Clayhouse Inn. Dale’s sister, Cherie Bean, a well-known policewoman, had passed just prior to the show’s opening. She was a multitasker like her brother Dale; in much the same way that Choy was with the Clayhouse Inn. When we learned from the story that Choy parked cars, collected the money at the door and was the MC etc., it all came together and the audience was enthralled by the memories recalled—from local events to shows with international stars like: Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Julio Iglesias and Al Green, to name a few. The show’s return is indicative of its profoundly positive impact on the attendees who also added their memories.

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Category: All, Entertainment, Music