Opera for beginners

11:00am Friday 9th September 2005

The (Little) Magic Flute
artsdepot, Nether Street
North Finchley
Tuesday and Wednesday 7pm

If you are between eight and 20, chances are you have never been to an opera.

This could all change if you give the English Touring Opera (ETO) a chance.

Of all the operas, The Magic Flute is one of the lighter ones, so it is a good place to start your operatic education, even if you don't get the formal school activities with it.

In it young lovers Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina use the powers of a magic flute to battle the forces of evil that threaten to keep them apart.

The company has abridged Mozart's gripping adventure, with its familiar tunes, to make it even more palatable for newcomers to the arias and recitatives.

"This is the first time we have done an opera specifically for children," said a spokeswoman from the company. "But there is no reason why adults who go alone won't enjoy it."

There are just six singers, most of whom double up on the parts, so there are very quick costume changes. There is a light box and the set is very colourful and simple. There is an orchestra of five people two violins, a piano, a flute and a clarinet.This is a million miles away from the heaving bosoms, full orchestras and ostentatious costumes of traditional opera.

The ETO perform their operas throughout the country and combine the productions with school workshops.

In this case, the singers are visiting Childs Hill School, Mapledown School, Edgware Junior School, Oakleigh Special School, Brunswick Park primary and Chalgrove primary school with a massive snake that has swallowed up all the props.

As the pupils pull out each prop, they learn about the relevant part of the story.

ETO started as Opera 80 a touring company founded in 1979 to bring high quality opera to areas of England that would not normally have access to opera productions.

In 1992 the company changed its name. Past productions include The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutti and Midsummer Night's Dream.

These are the only London performances in an 18-date tour, so go enjoy. Tickets are £12 (£10 concessions). Call the box office on 020 8369 5467.