Last weekend, the first stages of the annual TheatreFest competition were held in Dunedin.

Adjudicated by Bryan Aitken, the event included performances from eight separate groups from multiple schools and the University of Otago over two days, and an awards ceremony on Sunday evening. Columba is very proud to have had two groups representing our school at the competition.

The Year 10 drama class presented a highly entertaining and ambitious adaptation of 'The Frogs' by Aristophanes.

Here is a synopsis of their piece: 'The Frogs' (Greek: “Batrachoi“) is a comedy by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It won first prize at the Lenaia dramatic festival in 405 BCE, and was so successful that it was staged a second time later that same year at the Dionysia festival. It tells the story of the god Dionysus (also known to the Greeks as Bacchus) who, despairing of the current state of Athens’ tragedians, travels to Hades with his slave Xanthias to bring Euripides back from the dead. Mayhem ensues. (Ina Bercinskas)

The 11 students involved in the production should be applauded for their hard work, dedication, and teamwork. Among the many young and talented thespians performing, particular recognition goes to Jessica Mundy for both directing and acting in the piece, and Raheli Yehezkely and Xander Cosgrove for their starring roles. Special thanks are also given to Ms Bercinskas for her endless support and direction, as well as her cameo as the donkey in the production in the absence of an actress - as Ms. B always says: “the show must go on!”

The second team present at the competition was a joint Columba and John McGlashan senior drama team. Supporting the two JMC students (Finlay Tomkins and Mitchell Lobb) who gave outstanding performances in their rendition of Frankenstein by Nick Dear, was their technical crew of two Columba students: Brie Monk (Year 12) ran the sound for the performance, and Dana Wister (Year 13) was in charge of the costuming and makeup. The joint group received multiple awards, including an Excellence in Design award for the costuming (Dana Wister) and a Magic Moments award for the inventive use of lighting and silhouettes (Brie Monk), as well as admission into the regional stage of the competition where they will represent their schools.

Columba is immensely proud of all the participants and their incredible mahi at the competition. We cannot wait to see what all these talented young performers will continue to do with their outstanding potential!

Dana Wister

Deputy for the Arts Committee