Swindon The Opera – Live at STEAM Museum 7 – 8 July 2012

As the final notes and applause drifted into the distance, I could not help but feel sad as this amazing project drew to a close, Swindon The Opera brought people together, a unity to tell the story of Swindon from 1952 until present day, as written by Matt Fox.  This is not a review but an account of my own emotions that I want to document, from the first time I had heard of concept of Swindon The Opera I was engaged and intrigued, our involvement in creating the branding image brought to us much pride and satisfaction and felt honoured to be involved in such an inspiring project. Now it is over what is left? Images and memories of an intense weekend set within the magnificent STEAM Museum, two days of  magical stage, drama, song and story telling, which offered, love, trials and tribulations, death, joy, humor and tragedy following the lives of the fictional Eveley family, it felt like I was following a family of my own, such was the skill crafted on every level of this show, to say I laughed and cried is an honest statement, I shall sadly miss the production and the people involved but I shall take away fond memories and one thing clear ………….  ‘family matters’ and yes every town has a ‘soul’, there was a healthy amount of heartiness and poignancy within Swindon The Opera and for me it held emotional warm reflections of human nature in the face of adversity…… probably not appropriate to compare but just as in the movies A Wonderful Life mixed with effervescence and style of Top Hat, a sense of sparkling nostalgia and hope for us all, left a lump in my throat which rose more than a couple of occasions though the show, well that’s what I felt anyhow!