Poster: Rókur Heinesen
Papageno and the magic potion
Collaboration with Varpið Culture House, Klaksvík Theatre Association and Klaksvík Male Choir.
Inspired by the famous opera “The Magic Flute” by Mozart, Birita Adela Davidsen adapted the story and songs into an interactive adventure treasure hunt.
Prince Tamino was bitten by a giant snake, and only a magic potion from the Witch could save him. However, the Witch was missing ingredients, so Papageno had to venture into the dangerous Enchanted Forest to find all the items - with help from the children!
Herfinnur Árnafjall played the role of the singing bird-catcher Papageno, who traveled through the Enchanted Forest with the children. Along the way, they met, among others, Princess Pamina, who taught the children a song; the disco troll Monostatos, who got them dancing; the singing priests in the Temple of Wisdom; and the Queen of the Night with her high notes.
October 2024
REVIEW
One of the best children’s events ever in the Faroe Islands! That’s the shortest way I can describe how I felt after we attended the unique treasure hunt “The Magic Flute” at Varpið during the autumn holidays.
Here in the Faroe Islands, we truly have reason to appreciate the great effort put into producing children’s content—both publicly and privately—and about a month ago we attended “The Magic Flute,” which was organized as a treasure hunt for children. The adults could enjoy coffee and cake in the meantime, but I managed to tag along with the children—and I was incredibly glad I did, because I was deeply impressed from beginning to end.
The Magic Flute is one of Mozart’s most famous operas, and here the bird-catcher Papageno must save the sick Prince Tamino, who has been poisoned by the evil Queen of the Night.
Opera is not something my children usually engage with much, which is why I found it so wonderful that this musical tradition was presented in a child-friendly way, giving children the opportunity to peek through a small door into a vast world. Hopefully, a small seed of curiosity was planted in their minds during this wonderful half hour with Mozart—one that may bear fruit later in their lives.What impressed me most about this treasure hunt was the incredible amount of effort put into every detail—big and small. Everything from costumes, props, and equipment to lighting (and darkness) and music. It was very clear that the organizers—first and foremost Birita Adela—focused on giving the children a truly special experience. We began out in the hallway, where the bird-catcher Papageno (Herfinnur Árnafjall) gathered all 20 children and invited them on a journey through the enchanted forest to save the prince. Just seeing a world-class opera singer dressed in a green parrot costume as an enthusiastic guide showed the level of respect they had for the children. We then moved through the magnificent Culture House, and in each room there were decorations with branches, trees, birds, lighting, and a group of actors who helped create a vivid, immersive experience. Like in a real treasure hunt, the children had to solve tasks—or “quests”—to move forward, which of course made it even more fun for them to actively participate in the story.
For me, there were two highlights. The first came near the end, when the children had to answer riddles from a wise man. Until then, they had interacted with one or two people at a time, but when the third riddle was solved, a curtain was drawn aside—and in front of us stood 20–30 singers from the Klaksvík Male Choir, dressed as wise men, singing beautifully for the 20 children. I was completely astonished and, to be honest, a bit moved that so many grown men had taken (free) time to do this for our children.
The second highlight came at the very end, when the Queen of the Night (Birita Adela) sang the famous and extremely demanding aria in the hall—probably the most iconic part of The Magic Flute. They say this aria is so difficult that it takes eight years to learn, and that it can only be sung twice a day and only for a few consecutive days. Birita, who is usually both calm and gentle, held nothing back, but demonstrated her true operatic mastery, filling every corner of the concert hall with her powerful voice and remarkable range. Again—world-class performance for 20 children and a few parents with cups of coffee. Nothing short of La Scala 🎶
Afterwards, it was also quite fun for the children to greet Papageno and the “sweetly evil” Queen of the Night 😉
I think this unique event has received far too little attention, but from me, the treasure hunt simply gets 6 out of 6 magic flutes. I can easily say that The Magic Flute is one of the very best children’s events I can remember in the Faroe Islands—and that’s saying something. Thanks to Birita, Annfinn, and everyone else for giving us a truly unforgettable experience.
