Magical Mozart adventure tailored for primary and high school learners

Cape Town Opera (CTO) is set to enchant young audiences this September with a vibrant new production of The Magic Flute, tailored specifically for primary and high school learners.

This lively adaptation of Mozart’s beloved opera will run from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 September at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone, offering two performances daily at 10:00 and 13:00.

Directed by Elizma Badenhorst, with imaginative designs by Frankie van Straten and lighting by Kieran McGregor, this playful version blends live performance with engaging puppetry.

Music direction is by Jan Hugo, recently seen onstage as Rossini in CTO’s acclaimed The Barber of Seville.

Cultural outing

Designed with accessibility and education in mind, The Magic Flute has been adapted into two unique versions—one for primary and one for high school learners—making it an ideal cultural outing for schools.

With multilingual narration in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa, and opera sung in the original German, the production ensures inclusivity while supporting curriculum-linked learning, particularly for high school music learners.

Humour, wisdom, and wonder

The opera follows the young Prince Tamino on a fantastical quest to rescue Princess Pamina. Along the way, he’s aided by a magic flute and the quirky bird-catcher Papageno, embarking on a journey filled with humour, wisdom and wonder.

A stellar cast from CTO’s Judith Neilson Young Artist Programme brings the tale to life, including Alida Scheepers as the Queen of the Night and Khayakazi Madlala as Pamina.

Mongezi Mosoaka, Sisikelelwe Mngenela, Nathan Lewis, and guest artist Riaan Hunter also feature, alongside colourful puppet characters crafted from recycled materials.

After the Athlone run, The Magic Flute heads to Woordfees in October.

The production is supported by the National Arts Council and the Western Cape Government.

.Tickets are R80 via Webtickets.