Developing skills and connecting youth culturally through drama
S. Thomas’ College took home the overall winners’ award. Pix by Mangala Weerasekera
Scanning the search light over school talent has been an annual event for the Council of Business with Britain (CBB). The third Annual Drama Competition which took place recently while acknowledging and nurturing young talent was also a fund raiser to benefit another project the CBB busies itself with- an English Language Teacher Training programme. Live theatre according to the chief guest for the evening, British High Commissioner John Rankin, is easily better than catching a televised version. Heartened by the enthusiasm that schools showed he felt the underplayed importance of the arts not only developed young skills, but connected people culturally.
Cast of S. Peter’s College performing at the competition
The Overseas School put forward a teen drama centering around ordinary Lily Morgan who wanted nothing more than to be given a chance to be Lady Macbeth in a play was an all-female script which the judges felt was cleverly used. “It was a good choice of set and play,” According to Keith Davies, Country Director of the British Council who delivered the judge’s observations. Keeping everything, even costumes to a sometimes eerie combination of black and red in some parts of the play, they felt were “chilling” – Lily Morgan’s ‘audition’ scene in particular.
Clinching the award for Best Actress for her role as Lily, Ceola Daly however wasn’t the only star of the production. Sitting smugly in a corner constantly breaking the protagonist’s hopes of landing the role, three ‘it’ girls with their hair tossing, syrupy layers of kindness over vicious intentions, the three mean girls stole the show and the title of best supporting female role. AloLenk-Walker, Shenali Pilapitiya- for her appearance as the queen bee and Nathan Omprasadham for his convincing depiction of mean girl Caroline Pritchett won the award jointly. The Overseas School’s ‘Living with Lady Macbeth’ was placed first runner-up for the evening.
Starting the evening off was an extract of ‘A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream’ by the boys of St. Peter’s College. The scuttle of feet opened the production when very agile fairies leapt off props, disappearing off stage and finally freezing at the sight of humans. The fairies a big yes for the judges who felt “the tableau scenes were enjoyable.” The judges felt there was an element of mystery, the play was well lit and even had a nice comic-touch with the half-witted follies of Pyramus and Thisbe.
The cast was placed second runners-up and Shehan Dias who played Pyramus won a joint award for the Best Supporting Male role. Not the only school to choose a piece from the Bard’s work, the British School in Colombo presented an excerpt from the Merry Wives of Windsor. The ‘home-team’ at the finals which was held in the school’s auditorium staged what the judges felt was a “joyous production.” An all-male cast, two guitarists and a sleezy Sir John Falstaff trying his best to seduce
Cast of the Overseas School, Colombo
Mrs Ford to the soulful sounds of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ had the audience chuckling. Crediting the play with “some of the slapstick, which was really funny” the judges warned that it wasn’t difficult to over-do it. Third runners-up for this year’s drama competition, the judges felt all members of the British School’s cast enjoyed themselves and had fun on stage.
The boys from St. Thomas’ College staged an excerpt from a play they recently produced- Oedipus by Sophocles. Feeling it was a “brave choice” the judges however awarded them first place for the clean execution of the classic.
Cast member of Trinity College Kandy receives the award for the Best Outstation School
Keeping the play in period, the awe-inspiring chorus with their in-sync words lead the judges to say it was a “tight ensemble.” Clever use of a bare stage and the auditorium that the members of the chorus walked about freely in, the judges felt the only slight glitch was the tonality. “We understand that it was originally an outdoor production” which was the reason they attributed the production being on the loud side through -out. Feeling over all that it was a “clever production,” for managing to shed 30 minutes off the original running time and still maintaining the famous sinister lines they felt it was a strong performance that was staged well. Winners of the grand prize of Rs. 100,000, Kathesh Handy won the award for Best Male Lead role for his rendition of the noble king Oedipus and Lihan Mendis, leader of the chorus won a joint award for Best Supporting Male role. Trinity College, Kandy took home the award for the Best Outstation School.
Country Director of the British Council Keith Davies, shared the judeges panel for the final round of competitions with fellow thespian and Regional Representative of the Royal Academy of Dance, Ranmali Mirchandani, and play write Delon Weerasinghe.