Scottish Opera are set to visit Ayr's Holmston Primary with the newly created show, Vikings! The Quest for the Dragon’s Treasure.

It's part of the company's tour of primary schools across Scotland and the event will take place on Monday, May 20.

With music by Alan Penman and lyrics by Natalie Arle-Toyne, Vikings! takes pupils on a magical journey of magic and mystery.

An ancient prophecy sends the Viking Queen and her swashbuckling band of warriors off to steal gemstones from the legendary Ice Dragon, while the sneaky Sorcerer Supreme stays behind, planning to seize power.

Soon the Sorcerers, Vikings and Villagers must work together to restore balance to the land, for they’ve stolen treasure more precious than gold or silver, and the stakes are higher than they could possibly have imagined.

Jane Davidson MBE, Scottish Opera’s director of outreach and education, said: "In 2024 - the year of the Chinese Dragon - Scottish Opera Education is thrilled to welcome another magical flying beast into its repertoire.

"A tale inspired by Norse legends, our dragon is more closely related to the creatures who feature in Cressida Cowell’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ books, or the ones created by JK Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien.

"We hope that pupils in primary schools across Scotland will delight in this original story, where the Vikings learn that not all treasure consists of gold and jewels, and that living in harmony with the land and the seasons is a lesson they’d be silly to ignore."

Scottish Opera have also released a ditigal programme available to all primary schools.

They can now engage with the production as a digital only learning and teaching experience, using online resources currently available on Scottish Opera’s website, to prepare the children for all aspects of presenting a performance to an audience.

This online delivery method — which includes Scottish Opera singers appearing on screen in classrooms to sing alongside the class — makes the project even easier and more affordable for teachers to engage with, particularly in those schools without specialist music teachers at primary level.

You can find out more about Vikings! and Scottish Opera’s other Primary Schools productions at www.scottishopera.org.uk/join-in/opera-for-schools/.