LOCHGELLY Primary School pupils are busy rehearsing and remembering their lines as part of a national Robert Burns opera tour.

The youngsters will be performing an opera based on the iconic Scot's 'Tam o' Shanter' poem this month as Scottish Opera's annual Primary Schools Tour hits the road.

It has been especially written for children in Primary Five, Six and Seven, with the fast-paced adventure featuring original lyrics by Ross Stenhouse and music by Karen MacIver.

Schools are provided with high quality teaching resources, including a teacher support pack to help introduce the songs from the The Tale o' Tam o' Shanter to pupils in advance.

A team of Scottish Opera performers and arts education specialists then spend a day with the pupils as they prepare for a choreographed, fully-costumed performance of the tale for family and friends at Lochgelly Primary School on Thursday March 23.

The show follows a farmer named Tam o’ Shanter as he makes his way home from Market Day with his faithful horse Meg. As the night grows darker, the rain falls and the wind shrieks through the branches of the trees, as he finds himself outside the church where he discovers a coven of witches dancing. Fascinated, Tam stops to watch, but suddenly one of them spots him, and he and Meg must run for their lives.

Jane Davidson, Scottish Opera’s Director of Outreach and Education, said: "Our children’s operas make learning both enjoyable and challenging, giving pupils the opportunity to participate in a high-quality, day-long music theatre workshop that ends with a performance for parents and guests. Originally commissioned in 2002, this vibrant interpretation of Burns’ iconic poem enables a new generation to explore the culture, identity and language that remain key to the enduring appeal of Scotland’s most famous poet."