The Shakespeare Festival - 2024
The Shakespeare Festival was held on February 8th 2024 and it was a fabulous day! The year 9 classes excelled themselves in their commitment to it this year: learning lines; producing fantastic sets; managing sound and music; choreographing dances and stage movement and creating colourful costumes. The themes were exciting and contemporary and the music had the audience clapping and engaged.
We welcomed Belfast playwright, Ms Fionnuala Kennedy, back again as our judge this year and she delighted us with her thoughtful and considered deliberations on each play. She awarded prizes to the best actors and supporting actors in each play as well as trophies for the best: set, choreography, costume, sound, original interpretation and best overall performance.
9B opened the show with an amazing and clever remix of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Romeo and Juliet: The High School Years’. Every actor delivered their lines with gusto and the music had us all dancing in our seats. The cameo performances of Father Grant and Sioban Toner (our esteemed office manager) during the final High School disco, sent the audience wild with delight!
High school Romeo and Juliet
Next came 9F’s, ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth the Magnificent and the Amazing Circus Extravaganza’. The opening was colourful and exciting and the performances had the audience spell-bound. Set in a circus tent, the costumes were fantastic and the three weird sisters were now three sinister clowns. It was fast-paced and dramatic.
Circus Macbeth
We were wowed by 9P’s hilarious pantomime adaptation of King Lear: ‘The Calamity of King Lear.’ The first scene was certainly a climax and the audience were entertained by the clever use of music in this play. The cast was made up of a strong acting troupe who really captivated and entertained the audience.
Panto Lear
Fresh contemporary themes were next with 9J’s, ‘Romeo and Juliet: Barbie vs Ken’. The set was an attractive blaze of pink and silver and the audience sang along as the Barbies and Kens danced and then fell in love. It was a fun and original interpretation and the audience loved it!
Barbie
Finally came 9M’s enchanting, ‘A Disney Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The costumes were fun and colourful and the tableaux created were beautiful. The choreography and stage movement were superb and the actors were very strong.
Disney midsummer
The musical interludes were facilitated by Karol Dudeck and Luke Fields on piano; Carla Murphy and Beth Heaver singing and Aimee on guitar. The audience enjoyed these delightful performances.
It was a really exciting and successful day for year 9 and an especially engaging one for year 8, who were picking up tips for their performances next year!
Groups
