In 2004 Welsh National Opera required a re-design of Opera Live - a magazine used to promote the Company’s up-and-coming season. Opera Live was everything but ‘live’. Our goal was to link realism to the undisputed passion of Opera. By commissioning journalistic photographer Kiran Ridley we were able to give fans and novices a tiny glimpse of the preparation and backstage mayhem minutes before curtains rise. A flexible dynamic page layout was used to add variety and was complemented by large cap letters cropping pictures creating unusual shapes. The design was loved and evolved over a five year period. The WNO have also gained an extensive photographic legacy.