Borka the Goose with no Feathers

As a complement to their adventurous Spring tour which includes Mozart's Magic Flute, Tippett's King Priam and Britten's Paul Bunyan, English Touring Opera is also offering an euqally adventurous programme for young people. Hot from their success with Laika the Spacedog, composer Russell Hepplewhite, designer Jude Munden and librettist/director Tim Yealland have created Borka, the Goose with No Feathers. Based on the book by John Burningham, the opera is aimed at 3 to 7 year olds and is being toured to 35 schools and libraries. There are also public performances for children and their families at Snape Maltings (Saturday 29 March), Riverside Library in Rotherham (Saturday 12 April) and G Live in Guildford (Tuesday 29 April).

In addition ETO is presenting Rumbled, a new opera by John Barber and Hazel Gould for children with severe learning difficulties, based on the story of Rumplestiltskin. An interactive and multisensory piece, Rumbled is the fourth piece for children with learning difficulties that the company has created in the last four years.

Finally ETO is joining forces with Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton Music Education Hub, the LightHouse Media Centre and the University of Wolverhampton’s Performing Arts Department, as well as local historians and staff from Tipton Library, to present a brand new opera created especially for Wolverhampton. Zeppelin Dreams explores tragic events in the city during World War I airship raids, in three performances at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Thursday 20 –Friday 21 March.