A youth opera celebrating Swindon’s railway heritage is set to return to the stage nearly 20 years after it was first performed.
The Janice Thompson Performance Trust will revive highlights from Brunel: The Little Man in the Tall Hat during its Summer Gala on Sunday, marking two decades since the production was originally commissioned as part of the South West Brunel celebrations.
This year’s performance will also pay tribute to the opera’s composer, Betty Roe MBE, the internationally respected composer and pianist who died in May at the age of 95.
Originally staged in 2006 at St Mark’s Church in Swindon’s Railway Village, the one-act opera featured around 150 young performers and was later revived at STEAM Museum in 2016.
The latest production will see children and young people aged between four and 18 perform a specially selected 20-minute version, bringing to life the story of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the people whose lives were shaped by the Great Western Railway Works.
Rather than focusing solely on Brunel himself, the opera tells the story through the eyes of ordinary Swindon families, railway workers and craftsmen whose lives revolved around the town’s engineering industry.
Characters include railway pioneer Daniel Gooch, workshop employees and the women whose upholstery and sewing skills helped support the railway.
The revival also restores several scenes not included in more recent performances, including the poignant Ghosts of Box sequence and the lively Picnic, alongside a collection of transport-themed songs celebrating Swindon’s railway legacy.
The performance comes as Swindon continues to promote its cultural identity and build on its rich industrial heritage through arts and community projects.
Trust Director Janice Thompson said the production remained as relevant today as when it first premiered.
“Swindon’s story is inseparable from the railway,” she said.
“This opera captures the voices of the people who built the town and the visionaries who transformed Britain. By placing these stories in the hands and voices of young performers, we are ensuring that the pride, resilience and creativity of previous generations continue to inspire those who will shape Swindon’s future.”
The Summer Gala will take place at The Platform on Faringdon Road on Sunday, 5 July, bringing together young performers in a celebration of music, storytelling and one of Swindon’s defining chapters of history.
For many in the audience, it will also be a chance to revisit a production that has become an important part of the town’s modern cultural story while introducing a new generation to the legacy of Brunel and the railway town he helped create.
