they really want to be part of it.

Glasgow-based theatre company Reeling & Writhing is preparing to take a show designed for infants aged four to 18 months on a tour of Scotland.

And 12-month-old Rowan Barrack got in on the action at a sneak preview at the Platform Arts Centre in Easterhouse.

The youngster from Lennoxtown, was so enthralled by the musical instruments she crawled into the performance area along with the cast.

Mum Linda Barrack, 32, said: "I had to keep trying to pull her back with the ankles.

"I haven't taken her to anything like this before – I'd never considered it before, but it's silly because we sing at home and we play musical instruments.

"You could see that the performers were really trying to engage her, which she did seem to respond to well."

The production team allowed a handful of mums and tots into rehearsals to help them fine-tune their 30-minute show, The Presents, which opens at Platform in Easterhouse on Monday ahead of a 10-venue tour.

It's the latest venture from Katherine Morley, who co-devised Scottish Opera's 2010 opera for infants, Baby O.

Just 25 parents or carers and their babies will be able to watch each performance, which features a cellist, a singer and a percussionist.

The set features three copper trees covered in ribbons and boxes, which contain the gifts of the show's title.

Linda was able to help shape the final production through her feedback.

The qualified nursery nurse, who has set up her own business as a baby massage instructor, thought the set was too tall for the young audience.

She said: "When you're decorating a playroom for a baby, everything is at your chest height and below, because that's the eye-level of the children.

"I'm really glad that we came to the rehearsal. I'm now even more intrigued to see how the show when it opens to the public."

When the show opens, the audience will sit carpets where they listen to the original music created by renowned children's composer and music educator Paul Rissmann.

The show aims to excite sensory development while complementing babies' concentration span and encouraging eye contact as the multi-coloured presents are revealed.

After a few wriggles and squirms in their mothers' arms, the tinkling of a glockenspiel, the chiming of a vibraphone, both played by Iain Sandilands, the deep reverberation of Su-a Lee's cello, and the classical singing of Emily Mitchell soon have the tiny tots' undivided attention.

The watching babies mimic the performers by clasping their hands, clapping, standing and trying to join in with the singing.

Creator and director Katherine Morley, said: "The reaction is instantaneous. If you're getting it wrong, you know.

"Their response is immediate and that's fantastic."

Katherine, whose background is in music research, wanted to find a show that would combine music and theatre.

Reeling & Writhing, which was founded by Katherine Morley and Tim Nunn, received £52,000 from Creative Scotland to produce and tour, The Presents.

"It's fantastic to hear their reactions," she added.

"I'm really pleased this morning went so well. When you develop any performance, in the last week so much can change and develop and progress."

Doctors have found hearing is one of the first senses to develop in the womb, and it is thought babies respond to their mothers' voices as early as 20 weeks into pregnancy.

Baby O, Scottish Opera's first show for infants was designed to be more experiential and relaxing than the ever-popular Bounce'n'Rhyme Time classes run by Glasgow Libraries.

"The lasting impact, I think, when they're very young comes from the influence that kind of thing has on the adults in their lives," says Aline-Wendy Dunlop, Emeritus Professor within Childhood and Primary Studies at the University of Strathclyde.

"It's wonderful seeing a parent taking part in that kind of venture and just being overwhelmed by how engaged their children are.

"It gives them a really good experience."

n The Presents, Platform, Easterhouse, Monday 10.30am; Tuesday 10am & 11.30am. Tickets £3 (adult and baby) from 0141 276 9696. It tours 10 venues, including Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock (May 18), Paisley Arts Centre (May 20), Eastwood Park Theatre, Giffnock (May 25) and Cottier Theatre (June 2-4).