Olympic status for ambitious play on tin mining
A large-scale theatre production that aims to combine the talents of professional actors, opera singers and local choirs for a celebration of Cornwall’s mining heritage has been given a prestigious award as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme.
Tin, a play based on the 19th novel by Edward Bosanketh, is being produced by Miracle Theatre and English National Opera, which have enlisted the talents of internationally acclaimed Cornish opera star Ben Luxon. The team putting together the ambitious show, which will be staged at five venues in Cornwall and Devon at Easter, were yesterday presented with an “Inspire” mark by the London 2012 Inspire programme.
Commissioned by the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site and directed by Miracle’s Bill Scott, Tin revives the story of a Victorian banking swindle in the St Just mining area. Each of the five venues are enlisting the talents of specially-convened community choirs. Ben Luxon, who has Cornish mining ancestry, will be joining the acting cast, while schoolchildren and community groups from across Cornwall and West Devon will make up a “village chorus”.
Speaking from his home in America, Mr Luxon said: “It’s a very exciting project. It’s important to celebrate our Cornish heritage and I’m looking forward to working on this. My great-grandfather worked in the mines so it is deep in my own roots.”
As well as the theatre show, Bill Scott and his team plan to use innovative cinematic techniques to produce a film.