Representatives of the Welsh Development Agency and the Wales Tourist Board are due at the House of Commons to press for funds to enable the "Tower" opera to tour England.

Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd, whose constituency includes the worker-owned Tower Colliery, will chair the meeting.

Ms Clwyd has hired the Hackney Empire in east London to stage the opera on St David's Day next year.

The opera, based on the historic buy-out, is scheduled to tour Wales.

But an appeal to the Arts Council of England for cash to extend the run was turned down.

The council claimed the opera, which has received critical acclaim in the media, would not attract audiences in England.

But 15 English theatres have said they would like to put the show on.

Expressions of interest have also been received by Opera Box, the Brecon-based company which produced it, from Portugal and Norway.

Brendan Wheatley, a director of Opera Box, said: "We are convinced that Tower would attract wide interest in Wales - it is a musical re-creation of an epic struggle by Welsh miners to save their colliery and their community.

"It's a story that people should know about and it's a great way of breaking down barriers about opera."