A PROFESSIONAL opera singer from Winsford whose dream is to make classical music accessible to all has returned to her roots.

Charlotte Hoather’s newly commissioned opera, Down the Rabbit Hole, is accessible to children from across the hearing spectrum, and she's now staging it at 10 primary schools in the town.

With the help of pianist husband George Todica, and sign language actress Zoe McWhinney, Charlotte aims to introduce children from hard-to-reach communities to classical music while improving deaf awareness and championing creativity.

So far, Over Hall Community School and Winsford High Street Community School have hosted performances, and Charlotte is delighted with how the shows are going.

Northwich Guardian: Charlotte said her young audiences have been a credit to their schools and to the townCharlotte said her young audiences have been a credit to their schools and to the town (Image: Charlotte Hoather)

She says her young audiences have been ‘a credit to their schools and to their town’, and she can’t wait to get on with the upcoming performances.

She said: “It feels fantastic to perform Down the Rabbit Hole in Winsford.  

“I’m thrilled the children are engaging so well with classical music. I feel so proud of my hometown.

“The show has evolved from a dream, to a plan, to rehearsals, and finally to a touring production, which is grabbing the children’s attention and encouraging them to laugh out loud and join in enthusiastically.

“They have really embraced the pre-show materials so they can confidently perform a British Sign Language poem during the opera.

“One student said it was ‘remarkable’.”  

As part of the tour, Charlotte and her fellow performers will be visiting Wharton Church of England Primary, Darnhall Primary, Hebden Green School, Grange Primary and Willow Wood Primary.

The opera is based on Lewis Carroll’s classic children's story, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with music written by ZOLLINO and the libretto adapted by Charlotte Hoather. 

Over Hall headteacher, Claire Edgeley, said: “Our children have loved this experience and I look forward to its continued success.

“Parents left productions at Over Hall keen to encourage other drama productions to include signing to make such activities accessible to all.

“Projects like this warm my heart and show how one person’s idea really can make a difference.”