On Tuesday 29 May, Columba College’s drama department put on a magnificent showcase of Shakespearian and melodramatic performances as a campaign for Sophie Baron’s upcoming drama expedition. The evening went brilliantly with five acts being performed in our very own Caroline Freeman Theatre.

The opening act was a two-person performance of a small five-minute scene from Hamlet. It was a self-directed piece, in which the students decided to modernise the scene, which was a refreshing take on a well-known Shakespearian play.

Next up was a wonderful five-minute performance of King Lear, which completely wowed the audience with Isobel Fraser’s fantastic portrayal of the mad monarch. Luckily we also had our star of the evening, Sophie Baron, step in at the last minute and perform in King Lear, as one of the actors was unable to attend. Then, it was time for the Year 13's to take the stage, and the trio performed a wonderfully humorous five-minute scene from Twelfth Night.

Next up, think damsels in distress, heart-of-gold heroes, and cruel, coldblooded villains, as the next item was a 15-minute melodrama starring six students from Ms Lindsay’s Year 10 drama class. The piece was student written and directed, with input from Ms Lindsay. The play completely did the melodrama style justice, with everything completely over the top, and laughs from the audience throughout the entire duration of the play.

To conclude the evening, we had the marvellous ‘Othello’, a 15-minute Shakespearian piece. Directed by Ms Bercinskas, it was an absolutely amazing performance, which really showcased the star of the evening, Sophie Baron. Sophie was the lead role of Othello, and she completely mesmerised the audience with her stage presence and passion in her acting.

It was a very successful night and the drama department intend to schedule several more this year.