Tag Archives: Zoe

A night at the opera, for father and daughter

On Thursday I took my 8 year old daughter Zoe to the Festival Theatre, to see Scottish Opera’s The Magic Flute.

I received an invite from Scottish Opera to capture the show with my sketches and thought my keen ballet and theatre fan Zoe would love to come too.

It was our first time to the Opera, as I said to the friendly couple behind us when we took our seats which overlooked the orchestra who were busy getting ready.

The couple told this was a good one to start with as it was in English so easier to follow. The buzz of excitement was all around us and as the lights dimmed the audience hushed.

I knew Zoe had been to the theatre before, to see the Nutcracker by the Scottish Ballet but I also knew it was the dance she was interested in. I was a little unsure about the length of the opera, being around 3 hours in total including a 20 minute interval break.

I needn’t of worried though, from the moment the very funny Papageno (played by Richard Burkhard) appeared on stage with a burst of flames and wearing a colourful outfit Zoe was mesmerised.

Set in a spectacular world inspired by the Victorian futurism of HG Wells and Jules Verne, this production includes plenty of comedy, dialogue and story so that those new to opera can not only follow along but really enjoy the spectacle.

Julia Sitkovetsky, (sketched above) playing the Queen of the Night sang beautifully and had the theatre spellbound during her time on stage. Zoe and I have been (very badly in my case) trying to copy the famous tune. You can see a clip of the show via the Scottish Opera website link below.

The day after Zoe and I drew these sketches from the night, it was a great way to talk about the evening and remember certain highlights. I liked the way The Three Boys floated down to guide the way when needed and Zoe laughed about The Three Ladies that wanted to eat the handsome prince!!

Prices start at £20 per ticket but at the moment if you are under 26 years of age you can get tickets for the opera for just £10 via the Scottish Opera website HERE.

Scottish Opera website