Scotland’s national opera company, Scottish Opera, is set to prove yet again that you are never too young to enjoy music with its new interactive show KidO.
Building on the success of BabyO and SensoryO, the sell-out productions for babies and toddlers, Scottish Opera brings KidO that is aimed at an audience of 3-4 year olds and their carers. This enchanting musical adventure provides a lively and welcoming introduction to live performance and opera that allows children to get close to and involved in creative activity. With play and make believe to the fore, the show features a mix of live singing, opera and specially written music, using vocal and body percussion to create exciting rhythms and build up words. Using everyday objects as instruments, it seeks to make the ordinary extraordinary.
The 45 minute show that tells the story of two very different characters who find it difficult to share a space has music by Katy Lavinia Cooper, is directed by Lu Kemp and designed by Ali Maclaurin. The performers are Frances Morrison-Allen, Stuart Semple and Andrew McTaggart.
Director of Education and Outreach at Scottish Opera Jane Davidson, whose department was the first of its kind of any opera company in Europe said, “… You can’t help but smile when you see a room full of babies and toddlers enthralled by the wonderful operatic voices, bright tactile sets and props, and sweet storytelling at the heart of these shows. … there’s …evidence that music can help children with their cognitive development … through repetition and recognition of the sounds and actions that motivate the characters in the story, we’re helping build language skills.”
Founded in 1962 by Alexander Gibson Scottish Opera aims to bring the widest possible range of high standard opera to the widest possible range audiences throughout Scotland and the UK.
Performance Diary 2015:
The Newlands Centre, Peebleshire
Sunday 15 March, 2pm
Monday 16 March, 10am &1pm
Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow
Thursday 19 March, 2pm
Friday 20 March, 11am&2pm
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Tuesday 24 March, 2pm
Wednesday 25 March, 11am&2pm
The Beacon, Greenock
Thursday 26 March, 12pm & 3pm
Friday 27 March, 11am& 2pm
Eden Court, Inverness
Wednesday 1 April, 11am & 2pm
Thursday 2 April, 11am& 2pm
Birnam Arts, Dunkeld
Friday 3 April, 11am&1pm
Lochgelly Centre, Lochgelly
Saturday 4 April, 12.30pm&3.30pm
Sunday 5 April, 11am&2pm
Suitable for children aged 3-4 years old.
To get the most out of KidO it is recommended that parents/carers are each responsible for one child at the most.