Gormenghast (opera) that "Gormenghast is, both in spirit and form, grand opera. But elements and characteristics of musical, the rock concert, and modern dance theatre play equally important roles within it". At a meeting of the UK's Mervyn Peake Society in 1995, Schmidt played three excerpts from the opera-in-progress, recorded on audio cassette—the music for the castle kitchen scene, a duet sung by the twins Cora and Clarice, and Steerpike's drunken song as he climbs to the top of the castle. The music for the castle kitchen had been recorded in his own kitchen using saucepans, plates, spoons, and forks as the
Walking on Glass sight to be independent stories. Two of the stories are set in and around Islington in North London, the other is set in the far distant future. Eventually, links between the three storylines become apparent. Quiss's Gothic castle is a combination of Franz Kafka and Mervyn Peake. After saving Quiss from suicide Ajayi reads the titles of the books on the wall: ""Titus Groan", she read, talking softly to herself. "The Castle", "Labyrinths", "The Trial"" Iain Banks commented that the book "didn’t do exactly what it set out to do and I think you have failed to an extent if