Form I and II Plays 2024
Last weekend, the first drama productions of the year took place. Form I were the first to thread the boards, with their production of Karleen Hayden’s The True Tale of the Big Bad Wolf , a quirky retelling of the famous tale of the three little pigs. The seventeen strong ensemble cast brought energy and enthusiasm to the stage, bring the play’s witty script to life. For many, but not all, this was the first time to perform in SCC, with former Whitechurch NS pupils Daniel Brady, Jamie Crombie, Ella Girdham, Alex O’Herlihy and Archie Moffett having acted here during their Primary School Pantomime. Stellar performances were delivered by all the pupils but especially from Big Brad himself, played by Harry Dunleavy, who gave an excellent portrayal of a misunderstood lupine hero. The talent shown by all the players bodes well for the future of theatre here in the College. Many thanks to Mr T Clarke for his direction.
Form II gave engaging performance of Sorry, Wrong Number by Lucille Fletcher. The 1943 noir murder-mystery was originally a radio play, requiring the young actors to bring plenty of character to the stage to carry it off – which they accomplished commendably on the night. Georgia Dobb’s apathetic phone operator, Charlie Dunleavy’s lugubrious and donut-enthused police sergeant and Zora O’Rourke’s menacing hitman all drew in the audience’s attention, among many others. At the heart of the performance was the unwitting victim: the “entitled” Mrs. Stevenson, played to excellent effect by Marianna O’Shaughnessy. She capably delivered the lion’s share of the play’s dialogue while imbuing it with entertaining snobbery and rising hysteria. It was a technical endeavour in terms of timing and delivery and all the cast impressed on the night, as well as Xin (Emily) Su who managed the sound effects – no small part for a play that was originally written for radio. Many thanks to directors Mr Stewart and Mr O’Shaughnessy.
