Thespians battle it out at the
The annual Interschool Shakespeare Competition organised by the YMCA came to a heady finale this month at the Bishop’s College Auditorium. Girls’ High School Kandy retained their championship from last year and D.S. Senanayake College walked away with the boys’ category trophy. Judges Neluka Silva, Seneka Abeyratne and Dr. Sharvika Damunupola-Amarasekara said they were “very much impressed” with the performances put up, only advising school to become less dependent on effects and to cast with more thought the next time around.
The ladies night on Friday started off with a bang-literally. The snarling and hissing fairies of Ave Maria’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ took to the stage amidst much beating of the tribal drums. The story, which focussed on the fairy politics between Oberon and Titania in the woods was often hilarious and provided a good start to the evening.
Nick Bottom, with his laugh and wit to match, was well played. Providing the prissy exasperation to Bottom’s earnest perseverance was Peter Quince, the fabulously camp ‘producer’. Titania and Oberon were a little too hostile for a couple, but gave an otherwise good performance.
Ave Maria excelled in that they milked the play’s dialogue for all it was worth, tapping onto the subtle irony and excellent leverage for innuendo. Ave Maria was the second-runner up at the finals in the girls’ category.
First runners-up Bishop’s College presented ‘Romeo and Juliet’, a production that was greatly improved from its previous staging at the semi finals. While the semis saw an uncertain cast and often hesitant performances, the girls excelled at the finals. Every performance had been fine-tuned and came together for a much stronger overall production.
The Nurse was suitably funny, Capulet as unbending and cruel as he is meant to be and Romeo gallant, yet slightly silly and selfish at the same time.
The greatest performance came from young Juliet; gone was the forgettable portrayal at the semis. Juliet floated around dreamily on stage, sobbed her heart out to her nurse and finally poisoned herself for love. Scenes that usually get a snicker or two from the younger audience were spot-on and performed to pin-drop silence. Kashya Ranatunge who played Juliet walked away with the much deserved title of Best Actress for her portrayal.
The performanc by Gateway College Kandy was a bit disappointing. The first-timers at Shakespeare had chosen ‘A Winter’s Tale’ one rarely performed or known. While the semi’s saw a weak beginning and a much stronger ending, the finals saw an overall production that failed to live up to its earlier performance. One or two good performances did not compensate for the others. However, considering that it was a first for these young actresses, to be chosen into the finals alone was a great achievement.
It almost seemed as if the pièce de résistance had been saved for last. Girls High School Kandy, outgoing winners and having become rather famous for their localised adaptations of Shakespeare stayed firmly on home turf and put on another ‘Sri Lankan’ version of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The men in sarongs and overcoats, the feisty ladies in Osaris, a Bahirava Yaka standing in for Oberon and giggling fresco-inspired ladies as fairies…you get the drift. The play focussed entirely on the love quadrangle between Helena, Demetrius, Lisander and Hermia.
The play, needless to say, was absolutely hilarious. There is something about the ‘aney’ accent and wringing of hands in true Sri Lankan aunty-style that gets to an audience every time. Add to that two stellar performances in the form of Oberon and the spurned Helena, and you’ve got a winning formula. Oberon, with her green face paint and blood red fingernails was excellent and garnered the award for Best Supporting Actress. Helena, with her extremely Sri Lankan demeanour and hoisted sari was a true gem.
At the boys’ finals on Saturday, St. Benedict’s College Colombo squeezed the tragedy out of Romeo and Juliet, staging the final few scenes from the play. Paris with his arrogance and the love struck and heartbroken Romeo were portrayed with aplomb. An extremely crafty prop in the form of a moving staircase seemed to strike a chord with a suitably enthralled audience. The school was awarded second runner’s up.
The audience had the loudest of cheers for Maris Stella College Negombo who became third runners up, for their traditional yet hilarious portrayal of ‘A Mid Summer Nights’ Dream. The acting, while perhaps not the strongest was commendable; and once again a Negombo school managed to tweak the dialogue to best effect, teasing much laughter from the audience. Thisby’s dress had an uncanny ability to slip down at the most inconvenient of times and Titania provided a most uncannily realistic portrayal of a woman by a man!
Trinity College had the most minimalistic approach, with the court of Julius Caesar in all-black, only a swath of coloured silk brightening the atmosphere. The cast managed to pull a difficult play off with relatively little mishap, moving seamlessly from one scene to another and happy to have actors play dual roles.
‘Romeo and Juliet’ by Royal College performed to mixed reviews. Taking a turn out of the norm, the play chose to focus on Romeo and his relationship with Marcutio, the Friar and the nurse, and finally the murder he commits. Marcutio was fantastic; leaping about stage without a care in the world, challenging his friend’s enemies with a hasty young bravado and finally cursing a plague on the houses of Capulet and Montague at death’s door-this was one performance that alternately amused and moved the audience to tears. Deshith Gamage got the award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal, and his school became the first runner’s up. D.S. Senanayake College secured the championship with a risky post-war adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The industrial setting of scaffolding and yellow tape did not distract from the actual performance, as many others had done. The mutant fairy beings headed by a vicious Oberon were the stars of the day, hissing and spitting their way through the stage and taking great acrobatic risks with the high props. The acting itself was fantastic, with a spot on performance by Oberon who was awarded Best Actor.
See video of the finals at www.sundaytimes.lk/videos
Follow @timesonlinelk
Related Posts:
Time for ShakespeareThis year’s Inter School Shakespeare drama competition did see some interesting surprises including a ‘bhairava yaka’ standing in for Oberon ...
On with the showWith the semi-finals of the Inter-school Shakespeare Drama Competition ending amidst much speculation, one can only hope that the finals ...
Experimental theatrical experience‘Romeo Juliet La’, a Sinhala drama, an experimental theatre experience based on world renowned William Shakespeare’s most popular play ‘Romeo ...
Keeping Shakespeare’s works aliveWhen the YMCA began its work in Sri Lanka in 1882, Queen Victoria was a toddler of three years. Over ...
Spellmaster moves to the Central ProvinceThe all island schools spelling competition “Spellmaster” which is now one of the most popular education programmes amongst all ages, ...