It was a fitting climax to a unique soap opera project – full of intrigue, double-dealing, joy and heartbreak.
The town centre of Wrexham was transformed into a real-life set for the concluding episodes of the Welsh National Opera project, Nine Stories High.
Just to show that anything is possible in the world of make-believe, even Santa dropped in for an unseasonal visit to the Eagles meadow shopping centre.
The big. kindly man in a red suit was distraught that his wife had walked out on him.
However, to roars of approval and cheers of delight from shoppers and visitors to Eagles Meadow, Santa was saved by an angel from M&S!
The performance was all part of the Welsh National Opera scheme to bring the art form to the people of Wrexham.
Since September last year there have been nine performances, each telling one part of the story, around the town as part of a live soap opera.
It has included a whole host of local people including the residents of the Pendine Park care organisation, which is a WNO Community Champion.
At a WNO workshop at Pendine Park, resident Christine Jones told how she married a village policeman nearly 50 years ago, only for most of the village to turn out and watch the wedding.
With little money and no prospect of a honeymoon, she recalled a friend of her parents giving them an envelope with £5 (“a lot of money in those days”) and a key – which opened a caravan in Blackpool which they were to use for their honeymoon.
Christine’s story was one of those told on Saturday when performers and musicians from Welsh National Opera re-enacted all nine performances around Wrexham on the one day.
That also meant a return for the down-at-heel Santa who last visited Eagles Meadow on Christmas Eve.
Rhian Hutchings, the Welsh National Opera’s Director of Educational and who also manages it’s outreach programme, says she is delighted with the way the public responded to the live performances.
She said: “We have had three performances at Eagles Meadow, each telling a different part of Nine Stories High. We have used the main shopping mall as well as Debenhams and tenpin.
“Nine Stories High is all about live soap opera, inspired by Wrexham stories told by Wrexham people and performed by world class opera singers including members of Welsh National Opera’s chorus.”
She added: “I am really pleased with the reaction from people in Wrexham. This is all part of a three year programme of events centred around the town all aimed at making opera more accessible and better understood.
“And we can see from the reaction of people here in Eagles Meadow it has been really well received. I was particularly delighted to see so many young people taking an interest.”
Ruth Evans, Welsh National Opera Production Manager, said: “This is just one part of a three year funded project which is taking opera out into the heart of local communities and showing that opera can, and very often does, depict everyday life.
“The story at Eagles Meadow is all about a down-on-his-luck Santa who is saved by his own angel of good fortune.
“We have recruited our own community Wrexham choir to back the performance which has clearly been a big hit with shoppers.
“It’s been a thrill to bring opera to Eagles Meadow and we hope people have learnt a little about what the art form is all about.”
She added: “Of course we have been putting on these live performances since September and today we are attempting to perform all nine parts of the story on a single day which is a bit ambitious! But its certainly been good fun too.
Shoppers Barbara Pugh, of Penycae, and her daughter, Delyth Pugh, of Johnstown, watched the performance with Delyth’s young son Thomas and daughter Emily.
Barbara said: “Well I didn’t expect to see Santa here in Eagles Meadow in May, nor a choir in Christmas hats!
“It’s been wonderful and I really enjoyed watching the performance.
“I do like the fact you can come to Eagles Meadow and see something different going on, it makes shopping days a lot more fun.”
Delyth, was delighted to see her daughter Emily waving a Welsh National Opera flag and added: “I thought it was brilliant and really different. The performers have incredible voices and I could get used to watching something like that.
“I always enjoy street performances and think we should have more of them, it always adds atmosphere.”
Kevin Critchley, the Manager of Eagles Meadow, was delighted to welcome the WNO team to entertain the shoppers once again.
He said: “The WNO residency has been a brilliant project and the three episodes they performed today were absolutely superb.
“And as Santa’s fate was in the balance, I am really glad there as a happy ending to the story!”
