THE first tickets for an opera about Swindon were sold within minutes of the box office opening.

Seats are now up for grabs for performances of Swindon: The Opera after members of the cast and production team opened the box office at the Steam museum on Monday – and it didn’t take long for the first tickets to be snapped up.

The opera, which is being produced by the Janice Thompson Performance Trust who won a £60,000 Jubilee Lottery grant, covers life in Swindon from 1952 to the present day and centres around a fictional Swindon family called the Eveleys.

Matt Fox, trustee of the JTP Trust and writer of the opera, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of interest in our project and were delighted to sell tickets instantly.

“The cast, JTP Trust choir and production team are working hard with rehearsals and it’s encouraging to know that tickets are in demand.”

The action follows the Eveleys going through the major events that have happened in Swindon over the past 60 years.

“It is a realistic story with highs and lows,” said Matt. “Not all of Swindon history is bright, it follows darker times too, like the railway works closing down.

“They are an upbeat family. They have got this survivor thing, which I think Swindon kind of has. It seems to survive things other places wouldn’t.”

Over the past two weekends, the production team have been busy in their search for people to join the Adult Community Choir, which will start rehearsals on April 19. The search took them to Penhill, Pinehurst, Toothill, Freshbrook, Walcot and Cavendish Square.

Janice Thompson, director of the JTP Trust, said: “It’s great to have so much interest from the community and I’m very much looking forward to working with them.”

Composed by London-based Betty Roe MBE, the production will form part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.Swindon: The Opera is on July 7 and 8 at the Steam Museum, with two performances on each day.

For more information visit www.swindontheopera.co.uk.

To book tickets, which cost £10 for adults and £5 for concessions (under 13s), visit Steam, call 01793 466637 or email adminsteam@swindon.gov.uk