Nothing but the best of the Bard
Girls’ Schools
It was an overdose of ‘Othello’ on day one of the semi-finals with four schools selecting the play as their choice of production. Devi Balika Vidyalaya’s take on ‘Othello’ was engaging while Good Shepherd Convent’s modern interpretation of the ‘Merchant of Venice’ was well thought out. However, it did have its technical glitches. Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, having put on a gothic performance last year which lacked in acting finesse chose to perform ‘Hamlet’ this year and carried it off well. Buddhist Ladies’ College’s ‘Merchant of Venice’ might have been better had they been a bit more audible.
Girls’ High School in Kandy performing ‘Othello’
The highlight of the afternoon session was the Girls’ High School’s performance of ‘Othello’. Last year’s winners proved they were worth their mettle, with a very strong performance by some familiar faces. A standout character was Iago; while common interpretation lends the character a rather sleazy and villainous persona, this Iago was suavely portrayed. Interestingly, Gateway College Rajagiriya, Negombo and Kandy all battled for a place in the finals on day one, each performing adaptations of ‘Merchant of Venice’, ‘As You Like It’ and ‘Othello’ respectively.
The second day saw an influx in performances, dotted with acts that kept the audience gripped in sheer excitement to others that were a bit disappointing. Bishop’s College had a rather curious standpoint to ‘The Merchant of Venice’ incorporating an intriguing Nazi theme. They played with a tricky hand of cards but seemed to have the ace in hand with an excellent portrayal of Shylock. Loyola College’s production of ‘Merchant of Venice’ was also done well with an impressive Shylock. Ave Maria Convent, Negombo presented an engaging portrayal of ‘Othello’ in theatrical contrast to the version performed by Holy Cross College, Gampaha-the latter started off with local percussion music and had their character of Iago under the influence of six ‘yakas’ dancing to traditional music.
Panadura Sri Sumangala Balika’s attempt at ‘Hamlet’ was commendable but again a bit disappointing at times. Hamlet stuck to one trusty expression throughout the whole play and the other characters floated about in a recital of dialogues. Following them was Visakha Vidyalaya brightening proceedings with a cheery take on ‘As You Like It’, which earned their performance rousing applause. Rosalind was played with great éclat, as the actress comfortably moved from her role of the carefree Ganymede and back to the beautiful Rosalind who kept the crowd in pin drop silence over her recital of the epilogue.
Boys’ Schools
D.S. Senanayake College took on ‘Hamlet’ in possibly the day’s most riveting production. To an audience weary of the repeated interpretations of this play – Hamlet in a mental institution was a welcome change. St. Peter’s College’s rather frozen performance of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ disappointed as their modern take on the play cast a dim light on the potentially significant roles of Shylock and Portia.
D.S. Senanayake College took on ‘Hamlet’
Kingswood College, Kandy and Gateway College Negombo took on the turbulent relationships and turmoil of ‘The Tempest’, and both crumbled under pressure. Abrupt endings and long epilogues left little respite for a restless audience.
The third and final day dawned with Gateway College Rajagiriya presenting an engaging version of ‘Othello’, while Royal College Colombos version of the ‘Tempest’ was fantastic.
The crafty costume change sequences were thrilling. Maris Stella College also sailed through with great props and costumes. While on the performance front the latter part of their Tempest won over an engaged audience. Ananda College also excelled at their performance of ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ with an excellent Beatrice as a lead.
The evening session of the final day failed to inspire barring the energetic performance by S. Thomas’ College with their take on ‘Much Ado About Nothing’- albeit it was a little too energetic, almost bordering on the murky vicinities of slapstick comedy. St. Benedict’s College took on ‘Hamlet’, and the most notable scenes were the sword duels which were acted out with as much precision as that of stuntmen. Disappointingly, the play in its entirety dragged its feet through dreary dialogues. Wesley College also took on the daunting challenge of the same play, but with a modern take to it. St. Sylvester’s College offered a lacklustre portrayal of ‘Othello’ while sticking to its original version. St. Joseph’s College tried their hand with the ‘Merchant of Venic’e but again failed to create a lasting impression. The last performance of the semi-finals saw Trinity College take on ‘The Tempest’ with Ariel depicted as a yaka dancing to the beats of the yak bera with King Alonso’s depiction much closer to home (in national dress garlanded by a satakaya). While Trinity put up a vibrant play, they seemed almost carried away with too many additions to the original.
Find out what the judges think at the finals set to take place on September 18 and 20 at the Bishop’s College Auditorium.
Into the Finals…
- Girls’ High School Kandy
- Bishop’s College
- Visakha Vidyalaya
- Good Shepherd Convent
Into the Finals ….
- Ananda College
- Maris Stella College
- D.S.Senanayake College
- Royal College
Duvindi Illankoon, Shaveen Jeewandara and Tharooshie Mahahewage contributed to this report.
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