St. Peter’s College

The boys’ final which hosted Wesley College, Royal College, St. Peter’s College and St. Joseph’s College was an intense evening with an eerie taste of betrayal and true drama. Interestingly this year all four schools staged extracts from Julius Caesar making it an evening with Caesar. The judging panel commended all participating schools – stating that they made a play that is ancient relevant to contemporary times. The four differing arcs and balances brought out the differences in perspective.

St. Joseph’s College took to the stage to open the evening with a strong performance. The use of imagery and the grey and black tones set an intense rhythm to the play. The pressure, struggle and tension was always present making some lines like “let us be sacrifices not butchers” truly sing out to the audience. The role of Lucius was played very vivaciously giving the play a refreshing beat. The play moved very intelligently making the storyline easy to follow and clear.

Next was St. Peter’s College whose brilliant use of foreground and background captivated the minds of the audience. The set did not change but the people did according to each scene making a smooth well placed 28 minutes. The acute sense of struggle that was ever present clouded the room and filled the theater with dilemma. The role of Casca was particularly played well. The judges commended the actor stating that he had a natural innate ability of storytelling making his performance truly wrap you in the play. The struggle in dealing with the pressures of authority and power was prevalent in the piece and was gripping from beginning to end.

Royal College took the stage next giving an interesting shift in focus by making Caesar and his perspective the anchor from which they build their performance. The stage craft was worked like a well-oiled machine making all shifts seem natural. The editing and directing seemed almost inseparable from the acting bringing out the harmony existing within the cast. The performance of Calpurnia was intense and strong. The actor made all the scenes his own delivering his lines with variation and pathos. All the sub roles blended in facilitating the main roles to deliver a brilliant performance. The fluidity with which the story arc developed culminated with Mark Antony.

Wesley College finally took the stage with a brilliant rendition of the play focusing on the internal conflict of Brutus. The stage was intelligently used with minimalistic props. A great on stage chemistry between Lucius and Brutus made for a personalised hands on piece. Brutus stole the show with his resounding nuances and interesting soliloquies. He captured the audience making every word gripping and heartfelt. The attention to detail was commended by the judges and the scene with Dasimus, Caesar and Calpurnia was poignant. The ending was very well choreographed with the sound of a drawn dagger to end a fantastic evening of intense theater.

Royal College

The boys results were read out to a  packed audience at the Bishop’s College auditorium.

The award for best stagecraft was shared between St. Peter’s College and Wesley College. The best novice boys school was awarded to Rotary International School. Devinda de Silva of St. Peter’s College walked away with the Best Supporting Actor award. Taariq Jurangpathy was awarded the prestigious Best Actor Award for his brilliant performance and was met with a thunderous reception.  St. Joseph’s College was awarded the 3rd runner up with Wesley College coming in the 2nd runner up. Royal College became runners – up making St. Peter’s College  the winners of the evening. The Peterite cast performed two songs from their upcoming production of “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” by Andrew Lloyd Webber which was received well by the audience.

St. Peter’s College - Winners

Royal College - Runners-Up

Wesley College - second runner up

Best novice school

Best Stagecraft

Devinda de Silva -Best supporting actor

St. Joseph’s College - third runner up

Taariq Jurangpathy - Best Actor

Devi Balika cast on stage. Pix by M. A. Pushpa Kumara and Anuradha Bandara

The girls’ final hosted Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Newstead Girls’ College Negombo, St. Lawrence’s Convent, Colombo and Visakha Vidyalaya. It was an evening with both comedy and tragedy at its best. The contrast, variation and dedication of each piece brought its own flavour making the competition a diversified one.

The first performance by St. Lawrence’s Convent started off the evening setting a high benchmark with their take on Romeo and Juliet. The seriousness, intent and coordination that flowed through the play reflected a united and in synch cast and crew. The courage with which the character of the nurse was played was highlighted particularly by the judges.  The next performance was the comical Twelfth Night by Newstead Girls’ College, Negombo. The play had a  vibrant beginning while the actors made the script their own  – as the language they used sounded in Mr. White’s words, “pleasurable” in their mouths. The bold interpretative choices made the play stand out. The character of Sisario was the heart of the play as the actor did not portray the role as a weak Paige or how most would play the role, but brought her own brashness and bravery making the play different and refreshing. Manvolio too was hilarious with well-placed and robust acting.

Next was Romeo and Juliet by Visakha Vidyalaya. This play had the audience at the edge of their seats from the moment it began. The use of lighting, music, sound, costumes and acting blended together to bring a brilliantly choreographed performance. The opening scene itself immersed the audience in the woeful tale in a very personal perspective. The Visakhians made a bold choice by choosing to make friendship the focus of the play instead of the more traditionally used theme of love. This interpretation truly shone a new light on the play giving it more clarity and intensity. The character of Mercutio was played to perfection in what was described by the judges as something that was a pleasure to be a part of. It was clear that the actor had truly made the role her own as every wave of her hand or uttered word sounded natural and not forced. The role was played as warm, provocative and rebellious sending both peals of laughter and fits of panic throughout the audience. The use of live music and dance too made the play a joy to watch.  The final play of the evening was As You Like It by Devi Balika Vidyalaya. This tripping, light, rhythmical performance had its own enchanting feel closing the night in fitting fashion.  The actors made the language seem to flow and maintained good rhythm and a jovial spirit and wit throughout the play. The judges commended the cast for making a brave choice in selecting this particular play and highlighted how they didn’t patronise each character but showed the reality of each one of them. The use of the stage was clean and precise with innovative props. The character of Rosalind was beautifully played with elegance and wit, binding the play together in a captivating performance. Her epilogue was dealt with beautifully bringing a charming end to the evening.

Visakha Vidyalaya

Newstead Girls’ College

St. Lawrence’s Convent

During the award ceremony the teachers in charge were recognized for their untiring efforts. Visakha Vidyalaya was awarded the prize for best stagecraft. The award for Best Novice school was not awarded this year. Rumashi Dissanayake of Visakha Vidyalaya was awarded the Best Supporting Actor award for her portrayal of Mercutio. The Best Actor award was shared between Sashini Mudalige of Visakha Vidyalaya and Devindi Galapatti of Devi Balika Vidyalaya for their roles of Romeo and Rosalind.  The third runner-up trophy was awarded to St.Lawrence’s Convent and the second runner-up trophy to Newstead Girls’ College, Negombo. The Runners-up were Devi Balika Vidyalaya and the winners for the evening were Visakha Vidyalaya.