A new opera retelling a pivotal moment in Welsh history will be performed in Brecon in November.
Fflamau Penyberth (The Flames of Penyberth), written by Welsh composer Gareth Glyn, marks the 90th anniversary of the 1936 arson attack at RAF Penrhos and will be staged at Theatr Brycheiniog on November 28.
The opera recounts the protest led by Welsh nationalists Saunders Lewis, Lewis Valentine, and DJ Williams, who set fire to buildings at the RAF base in opposition to the destruction of Penyberth farmhouse—an important site of Welsh cultural heritage.
Mr Glyn said: "Fflamau Penyberth commemorates a hugely significant event in Welsh history and I felt a great responsibility to get it right and I hope my score does justice to this seminal moment."
Commissioned by OPRA Cymru, the opera is Gareth Glyn’s fourth and his third for the company.
The libretto was written by OPRA Cymru founder Patrick Young and author Arwel Vittle.
The story unfolds in three acts, beginning with one of the men in a prison cell before moving into a series of flashbacks.
The cast includes tenor Robyn Lyn Evans, who has performed with Welsh National Opera; Aberdare-born baritone Emyr Wyn Jones; and baritone Robin Gruffudd Hughes.
Following the arson attack on September 8, 1936, the three men were imprisoned for nine months in Wormwood Scrubs.
Upon their release, they were greeted as heroes by a crowd of 15,000 people in Caernarfon.
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