Mixed bag of talent

Bringing together a myriad of singing, acting and dancing talents onto one stage, "The Vaudeville Awakens," an event put together by the English Literary Society (E.L.S.) of Royal Institute International School of Higher Education, was an evening of pure entertainment for all those present. Held on November 17, at the Navarangahala, Royal College Colombo, the mood-dampening rain outside was drowned out by the lively line up of music and dance.

An impressive effort by the members of the E.L.S. led by its president Jasmin Athas, the event included something for everyone. As mentioned in the Chairman Mr. B.T Bandara's official message, all activities regarding the English Day celebrations were carried out solely by the students, with the support of the teachers-in-charge. According to him, the event was an ideal opportunity to showcase the students' "capabilities, talents and leadership qualities."

With the line up of events beginning with a few tuneful songs by the senior choir, this performance was followed by an eloquent speech by the winner of the senior oratorical contest, Savindi Doranagama. The pace then quickened with an original western dance performed by Madhushika de Alwis and Sahara Bohoran. Choreographed by themselves, the lively dance kept the audiences' toes tapping for sure. Next up were three solo performances by junior students, followed by a folk dance performed by the juniors which was a personal favourite, transporting everyone in the audience, to another era.

The highlight of the night of course was the performance of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which reminded us that we must capture whatever element of fleeting happiness in this tragic-comedy of life. An impressive fact was the voluntary taking over of directing the play by the vice president of the E.L.S., Deandra Koch. Apart from the slight delays between scenes, the flow of the play was smooth, while the comic element kept increasing with various twists in the plot. A few noteworthy performances that evening were by Shahana Naleem as Olivia, Vohara Wickremasekera as Viola and Imasha Fernando as Sir Toby. Supun Liyanaratne's portrayal of Sir Andrew and once again of the priest, was outstanding, differentiating between the comic element in his primary character, and the serious nature of the secondary one.

The final act for the night was a performance by the band, with their renditions of two all time favourites. The band titled "Requiem" and consisting of Ammenda Leon, Hussein Saleem, Julian Ruhunuhewa, Channa Weerasinghe and Jasmin herself on guitar, was well appreciated. According to her, the event became a reality thanks to the encouragement and support of the school's principal Mr. B. Sooriarachchi, and teachers-in-charge Ms. C. Singaravel and Ms. S.F. Gallil. All in all, bringing out the collective talents of the students, "The Vaudeville Awakens" was an impressive school event, which highlighted the potential of such youth efforts.