On Friday August 6th, Co-Opera came to the school to perform a children's version of Mozart's, "The Marriage of Figaro." This is the third year Co-Opera has performed at the school, following  performances of "The Magic Flute" in 1987 and "Carmen" in 1998.

Prior to the performance, teachers prepared the children for the opera by explaining the plot, introducing the characters and playing some of the music to them. The detail that was discussed depended very much on the age of the children. The older children discussed the life of Mozart and talked about the social issues of his time.

Co-Opera provided excellent resources for this preparation. By the time the opera began, the children had an excellent idea of the story line.

Throughout the opera, the children sat quietly and appeared to enjoy the experience.

Many were fascinated with the colourful and detailed costumes, particularly the wigs worn by both the male and female performers.

At the conclusion of the performance, the entire cast answered questions from the children. This session was particularly informative to all members of the audience.

The cast also talked to the children about asthma and introduced those members of the cast who suffer from the problem. These cast members explained how they are able to sing, perform and overcome the effects of asthma.

The children enjoyed the opportunity to meet the cast. The performers then mingled with the audience and showed them their costumes and answered further questions.

The cast answer questions from the children.