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The missing Venus Dome of Barcelona was a venue located on the top floor of the Teatro Cine Principal Palacio building, located at La Rambla, 27.
But to know the principles of the place we should go back to the 17th century when Felipe II authorized the construction of the first theater in the city.
It was the wooden hut that housed the Santa Cruz theater, so that the benefits would serve to improve the economy of the Hospital de la Santa Cruz located within the old walls and predecessor of the current Hospital de San Pablo.
This theater was the cause of the fact that for many years the small square that exists in front of the premises was known as Plaza de las Comedias. Times changed and the new building became the Teatro Principal and in its latest reconstruction, on the top floor, the protagonist of this article, the Venus Dome, was built.
The Venus Dome was closed until 1943, when the Monforte Billiards Club was installed in part of the premises, which in times of the Republic was occupied by the Ateneu Barcelonès. In 1976 Bigas Luna filmed some scenes of Tatuaje here.
Franco's death, on November 20, 1975, changed freedoms and the city became a more transgressive city, which caused the alternative theater group Roba Estesa, who knew the spaces of the Monforte Billiard Club, to think of the place to turn it into a performance hall. Finally he got it due to the good disposition of the Billiards Club and the owner of the premises, Pedro Balañá.
The theater group was directed by Núria Massot (director and soul of the institution), whose proposals with a left-wing vision sought to criticize the world and people.
After a reform to adapt the premises, a capacity of 180 spectators was achieved, in a room in which the spectacular wood and plaster lamp stood out.
Roba Estesa, from the beginning, for the assembly of his shows, had the help of the Diputación and the City Council that made a monthly subsidy to be able to make the representations.
The inauguration of the Dome took place on November 24, 1978 and Roba Estesa communicated it with an advertisement on the billboard of La Vanguardia in the Theater section, with the show Xist... hi ha roba estesa!.
It was followed by the premieres of Travessa deserts, which was classified for its content as "S", on March 4, 1979, by Carles Reig and the Ignasi Iglesias company. It was directed by Santi Sans, an actor and comedian from Mataró.
The presentation of this show produced a warning from the authorities who threatened to withdraw the subsidies.
The progression of shows offered by the Cúpula soon achieved the approval of spectators and critics, which led it to obtain, within the 1980 Sebastià Gash music-hall awards, the Applaudment award. It was a distinction that was granted to a person, work or entity that stood out for some particularly relevant aspect.
Later, the crazy couplet, from the company Roba Estesa, was released in 1979; y Don't you want a cup? Cup and a half, from the company Roba Estesa and Oriol Tranvía.
Pepe Rubianes, in 1983, presented his production of Pay-Pay, the year that Núria Feliu presented Swing Núria Swing, with the performance of Christa Leem, an artist who managed to succeed in style at the Cúpula.
Other actors who also triumphed on their track were Loles León, with her particular vocabulary, Joan Gimeno (multifaceted humorist), Ángel Pavlosky, a transgressive Argentine artist, who enjoyed defying censorship in the theater, imitating female characters. Oriol Tranvía, and Xus Estruch stood out with their fun show La Peixatera (The Fishmonger).
The arrested performances and the programming sessions considered by the authorities to be risque, made the administrations withdraw the subsidies, which caused the closure of the premises on January 6, 1986, with the family concert show.
After the closure, the Monforte Billiards Club once again recovered this space for its activity, until its transfer to calle de Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 373.
For friends to recall curious facts from past times. In 1977, in the studios that TVE had in Miramar, Ángel Casas, presenter of the program Mirador, offered the first television striptease in the history of the country with the muse of the poet and artist Joan Brossa, the Barcelona artist Christa Leem, who had triumphed in the Venus dome.
