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Magazine |
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Shakes
alive!
Last weekend
the B.M.I.C.H. was ablaze with talent as the finals of the competition
were worked off. Unlike previous years where two girls' schools
and two boys' schools made it to the finals, this year four boys'
schools and four girls' schools performed for their respective trophies
on two consecutive days. Dulip Jayamaha, chairman of the organizing
committee, said this was done to allow greater participation in
the finals. Of the nine
girls' schools in the semis, Visakha Vidyalaya, Holy Family Convent,
Ave Maria Convent, Negombo and Mahamaya Girls' School, Kandy made
it to the finals on the 22nd. Visakha Vidyalaya
was up first with an excerpt from the 'Comedy of Errors'. The use
of a common costume and the lilting sounds of a flute added to their
presentation but the acting was not always balanced. 'King Richard
III' by Holy Family Convent held the audience spellbound. The ladies'
roles, especially that of Queen Margaret were beautifully portrayed.
A dramatic beginning, climatic end and the minimum use of props
did much for the play. Up next were
two 'outstation' schools. Ave Maria Convent, Negombo presented their
interpretation of 'All's Well that End's Well'. The judges suggested
that a deeper understanding of the play would have helped their
characterization. A completely
different interpretation of the 'Comedy of Errors' then took centre
stage as Mahamaya Girls' School, Kandy set their play in the sixties.
Kavindra Samarasinghe who played the jester was awarded Best Actress
(Out-Station Schools). The judges
Dr. (Ms.) Neluka Silva, Mr. Richard Lunt and Ms. Gwen Herath felt
that there was much room for improvement in all four plays. They
highlighted the importance of dialogue as a priority when acting
Shakespeare and felt that a tendency to overact barred effectiveness.
On the positive side, the use of minimum props and costumes worked
well. Of the fourteen
boys' schools that participated, the finalists were Maris Stella
College, Negombo, St. Peter's College, D.S. Senanayake Vidyalaya
and Royal College. Maris Stella
went first with 'Anthony and Cleopatra'. Minimum props and maximum
effect, worked well for the actors and Asiri Jayawardene's excellent
portrayal of Anthony won him the award for Best Actor (Outstation
Schools). Another interpretation
of 'Anthony and Cleopatra' at the hands of St. Peter's College followed.
Energetic participation and effective fights complemented the play.
A novel idea where the changing of scenes took place on stage was
commendable but at times distracting to the audience. A much needed
change was then in place, for next up was D. S. Senanayake Vidyalaya
with an excerpt from 'King Henry VI Part II'. Chamath Arambewela
was awarded the Best Actor (All Island) for his performance as the
Duke of York. The fights were well choreographed and enthusiastically
received. Acting took
pride of place as Royal took to the stage with 'Anthony and Cleopatra'.
Detailed settings, calculated background music and subtlety were
their forte. A strong yet emotional, revengeful yet forgiving Anthony
played by Suren Gnanaraj was appropriately commended. The evening
drew to a close. For judges Dr. (Ms.) Neluka Silva, Ms. Sumithra
Peiris and Ms. Wendy Holsinger it was not to be an easy task. The
only flaw they saw fit to mention being the portrayal of the ladies
in each of the plays. The award for Best Boys' School (Outstation) was awarded to Maris Stella College, Negombo, and the Best Girls' School (Outstation) went to Mahamaya Girls College, Kandy. The First Runner-up of the Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition (Girls) was awarded to Mahamaya Girls' College, Kandy while the Boys Runners-up award was won by St. Peter's College. Holy Family Convent was adjudged first in the Girls Section while the Boys section was well won by Royal College after a lapse of eleven years.
Sir Paul McCartney's
children are having trouble accepting his wedding, he has admitted.
The multi-millionaire
singer, whose wife Linda died of breast cancer four years ago, confirmed
the rumours about his family's attitude to his 33-year-old wife,
Heather Mills. 'I think a
second marriage is hard for the children, no matter who it is,'
he said. 'People in
my position are told not to worry, that time will heal. But it's
very difficult, it's difficult for all of us. 'They find
it difficult to think of me with another woman. But it's how it
is and how it must be, and I think that, more than anything, they
want me to be happy - and this is what makes me happy.' Sir Paul, 59,
married Heather Mills, a former model, earlier this month. Exactly how
his children - designer Stella, Mary, James and Heather, Linda's
daughter from her previous marriage - have expressed their feelings
about the marriage is not made clear. But speaking
before the wedding, Sir Paul stressed that all had shared deep sadness
after the loss of his wife in 1998. Even now, he
still needs 'healing', he told the Sunday Telegraph. 'There is a
lot of that for me,' he said. 'And I have a new woman in my life
who I'm going to marry, so that's part of that too. 'Heather has
made me feel more at ease with things. After two full years of horror
and doctors' offices and scares and diagnoses... 'I'm grateful
not to have to spend my days doing that any more. And I'm lucky
to have found a good woman who is strong like Linda, and beautiful
and positive and funny.' Heather Mills,
who lost a leg when she was hit by a police motorcycle in 1993,
made her name as a campaigner for the disabled before meeting Sir
Paul. But his optimism about the future was not easy to achieve.
He explained that therapy had helped him to cope with his sadness
after his wife's death. His grief took him back to the death of
his mother Mary when he was only 14. 'I certainly
didn't grieve enough for my mother,' he said. 'There was no such
thing as a psychiatrist when I lost her. 'I saw one
when Linda died and he said, "A good way to grieve is to cry
one day and not cry the next, alternate days so you don't go down
one tunnel,' I took his advice." 'I was very
sad, in deep grief,' he said. 'But never suicidal, I'm too positive
for that.' Having love in his life again had also helped. 'I'm a
romantic,' he said. 'I'm like Fred Astaire. I always say to young
guys, "be romantic", because not only do women, love it,
but you'll love it too.' |
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