An initiative aiming to bring opera to thousands of young people across the region has been relaunched.

Longborough Festival Opera has reintroduced Playground Opera, which has reached over 5,000 pupils across the Cotswolds since 2021.

For this year, Longborough has designed a family-friendly performance of Donizetti's 'The Elixir of Love', renamed 'The Implausible Potions of Dr Dulcamara'.

 

 

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The story, one of love, desire, deceit, and gossip, combined with a touch of magic and a dose of confusion, is set to be ideal for children's viewing.

The Longborough education team, which is made up of directors, musicians, singers, and actors, plans to schedule a full day at each school to dissect elements of the story, encourage pupils to reflect on their choices, and even rewrite the narrative.

Students will then join professional opera singers on the stage for a performance at their schools.

One seven-year-old participant, Lucas, said: "It brought me to a whole new world."

A teacher added: "Please, please keep doing what you are doing.

"It is vital that these children widen their horizons and experiences of the world."

Longborough will also present a public performance of its Playground Opera for the first time this summer.

The show will take place at Chipping Campden’s Cidermill Theatre on Friday, June 14, at 6.30pm, welcoming all ages.

Ticket prices begin as low as £2.50.

Jessica May, Longborough’s head of learning and participation, said: "This initiative not only provides an opportunity for students to experience opera, but it also helps to promote creativity, teamwork, and communication.

"The opportunity to engage in high-quality artistic experiences can also give students a huge boost in confidence and self worth through enhanced learning opportunities."

She added: "Our approach creates a fun and liberating environment in which children are encouraged to explore and comprehend the way they are expressing themselves.

"There are so many benefits to shared music-making, and we’re delighted to bring these benefits to thousands of schoolchildren across the summer.”

Tickets for the public performance are available on the Longborough Festival Opera website (https://lfo.org.uk/event/playground-opera-2024).