BBC Wales's Melanie Doel visits rehearsals at Tower Colliery

It chronicles the history of Tower Colliery which was saved from closure through a miners buy-out almost five years ago.

The production which opens at Swansea next month, features some of the country's most distinguished performers and writers.

The miners made history during a triumphant march back to work in 1995 after using their life savings to buy the pit.

"I find it tremendously incredible, says Tyrone O'Sullivan, who led the campaign for the mine's survival.

"Here we are, 223 miners when we came back to work, now 300, and they're having an opera written about them within four years.

Stars from the Royal Opera House make up the cast

"Normally you've got to die, wait 200 years and then they write an opera about you."

Tyrone O'Sullivan is to be played by Robert Lloyd, who has been principal bass at the Royal Opera House for 25 years.

Before the rehearsals, Mr Lloyd joined the rest of the cast and went underground at Tower to get a chance to study the way of life they will have to portray next month.

He emerged from the pit admitting this could be one of his most challenging leading roles yet.

"I have been picking up a few tips today by observing him, learning how to chew tobacco and things," he said.

"But it's a big responsibility because this man is certainly unique and a very major, charismatic figure and that's not easy to portray."

And when asked is he was confident Mr Lloyd would get him right, Mr O'Sullivan said: "On the first day I met him I thought he's tall and good looking, that's enough to me even if he can't sing, that'll do me.

Ann Clwyd MP staged a sit-in to try to save the pit

Meanwhile, another major player Ann Clwyd, MP for the Cynon Valley - who staged an underground sit-in to save the pit from closure - met mezzo soprano Ann Atkinson who will play her part.

The opera has some of the country's top names including Alan Hodinott, the most prominent Welsh composer this century, and the libretto has been written by Bafta award-winning script writer John Owen.

Director Brendan Wheatley hopes it will bring down the perceived barriers of elitism and bring opera to the masses.