THE MAESTRO would be thrilled. Thanks to an innovative move by the Republic's only touring opera company, Irish children in like Boyle and Ballyshannon, Tralee and Monaghan, are going to hear Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's music. The Opera Theatre Company is currently targeting certain primary schools with a view to bringing a production of The Magic Flute into the lives of young school-goers.

Once selected, schools will receive a resource package from the OTC containing tapes dealing with parts of the music, the characters, the storyline and the drama of the piece. The aim is to familiarise the children with all aspects of the production and so help arouse their curiosity.

Imelda Dervin, the company's education officer, says that, apart from learning the songs and doing a number of other interesting exercises connected with The Magic Flute - which will be performed in English - the class will also have to write a letter to one of the characters in the story. Later in the term, in reply to their letter, this very character will visit them and conduct a work-shop in the school.

The workshops will focus on getting students to make music and drama for themselves. Members of the cast will help them come up with `magic ideas' in their classrooms.

The OTC's aim is to make opera appealing to young people, Dervin explains. By the time the company arrives in a town it is hoped that the children will be able to appreciate and enjoy the production in a real way. "We've got to break down the illusion that opera is stuffy," says Dervin. "This will introduce them to the art of opera in a very palatable way."

The story of The Magic Flute, which was written in 1791, has been adapted from the original work, by Susie Kennedy and Andrew Synott. It has been `simplified' in places, according to Kennedy, who is also director of this production. Things were taken out only to make the story-line more accessible, she explains.

"It's been simplified, but it's not simplistic," she says. Partly it is a love story, says Kennedy, between Tamino and Pamina. It's also about the exotic adventures of the birdman and woman, Papageno and Papagena, and about the epic struggle between light and darkness.

"It's very colourful and there's a lot of magic in it," says Kennedy. "One of our main aims is getting them to open their mouths and sing."

Imelda Dervin says that the company wants to show children the fun involved in going to the venue. "The whole theatrical experience is part of it," she says.

The project will run next year during April and May and again, later on, during November and December. With a substantial grant from the ESB, The OTC is delighted that they have been given an opportunity to bring this production to an estimated 8,000 people.

The company, which was established in 1986, hopes to travel to 24 schools. To date it has performed in 36 towns and run education programmes in 44 schools. The first night of the touring production opens in Athlone on Wednesday, April 30th, next year. Among the cast will be Fionnuala Gill, Declan Kelly, Tom Gut brie and Collette McGahon.