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Miracle Theatre premiere first feature-length film

A film about love, greed and opera in a Cornish mining town made by National portfolio organisation Miracle Theatre has its world premiere at Newquay Lighthouse Cinema this month.

Tin is a full-length feature film shot entirely in Cornwall and starring Jenny Agutter, Dudley Sutton and Redruth-born opera star Benjamin Luxon, alongside the cream of the region's acting talent including Ben Dyson, Jason Squibb, Dean Nolan and Steve Jacobs.

The micro-budget film tells the story of a weather-beaten opera company arriving to perform in the town hall and becoming tangled up in a scam to offload shares in the ailing tin mine.  When the mine unexpectedly offers up new treasures, reputations crumble, fair play is abandoned and the fate of the whole community rests on the courage of one feisty young maid.

The film was shot over 15 days in 2012 in a purpose-built green screen studio in Redruth, using meticulously constructed model sets which give a quirky, heightened feel to the melodramatic story.  It was a truly pioneering project, made for under £100,000 using the latest digital technology and with support from the Cornish Mining World Heritage SiteHeritage Lottery Fund and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.

Bill Scott, writer and director of Tin and Artistic Director of Miracle Theatre, said: 'The film brings a chapter of our mining heritage to life in a unique way which will have special appeal to lovers of Cornwall, while the human story at the heart of the film should charm audiences everywhere.'

Tin originally toured as a theatre production, performing to sell-out audiences and critical acclaim.  The Cornish Mining World Heritage Site commissioned Miracle Theatre in collaboration withEnglish Touring Opera to produce the piece, based on a 130-year-old 'novel', relating the story of a notorious swindle by a local bank in St Just.  Though names were changed, the characters at the time were easily recognisable and the bankers were so incensed by the allegations they bought and burned as many copies of the first edition as they could find.  Fortunately a few survived.

Eight schools in Cornwall have taken part in the production, working with English Touring Opera and local community choirs.  Miracle Theatre also had the highly complex post-production work carried out at small local facilities.  The visual effects were done by animation company Spider Eyewhich, in an extraordinary coincidence, occupies the old Consolidated Bank building in St Just where the real-life forgery took place.

Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England, said: 'This is an extraordinarily exciting project that shows how Miracle Theatre are leading the way in using digital technology to create new channels and reach new audiences.  The theatre production was magical and I'm really looking forward to seeing the film.'

Tin premieres in Newquay on 12 April and is on cinema release from 17 April.  For more details go to www.tinmovie.com.

 

Channel website: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

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