Theatre at its best

The Council for Business with Britain (CBB) concluded its inaugural annual English language drama competition recently with eight schools participating.

The CBB’s first-ever drama competition is intended to accentuate the talents of school students and provide them with a platform to showcase their capabilities in the performing arts. It is also aimed at giving participants the opportunity to reach out to those less fortunate than themselves, by raising funds through English language and theatrical performances.

Royal College was adjudged the overall winner, with the British School Colombo, St. Bridget’s Convent and Holy Family Convent, placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd runners up, respectively.  

The winning school, Royal College performed an extract from Romeo and Juliet with the utmost effect, dueling so realistically that Mercutio’s death had the audience gasping. The bawdy scenes at the beginning heightened the pathos of the tragedy at the end.

The British School performed “Chat Room” by Enda Walsh, a play that dealt with contemporary issues, while St Bridget’s Convent performed a brilliantly edited version of “The Importance of Being Ernest” by Oscar Wilde and Holy Family Convent, enacted the final scenes from “The Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller.

Judges included Ravindra Randeniya, Valerie Rose Hartman and Dr. Lesley Dick whom together expressed their views stating: “It was an evening of excellent theatre with a variety of performances all of a very high standard.”

The CBB annual drama competition 2012 supported by the British Council was sponsored by MAS Holdings (Platinum sponsor), Etisalat Lanka (Pvt) Limited and Norfolk Foods (Pvt) Ltd. (Gold sponsors), Hettigoda Industries Ltd. and Smithkline Beecham (Pvt) Ltd. (Bronze sponsors), and Coats Thread Exports (Pvt) Ltd., Dominos Pizzas, Hellman Worldwide Logistics (Pvt) Ltd., Hilton Colombo Residence, HSBC, Microcells (Pvt) Ltd. and Nestle Lanka PLC. Media Partner was Derana TV.

All proceeds from this event will go towards financing the CBB’s English Language Teacher Training Project (ELT). The CBB’s ELT Project has supported the development of English teaching of school teachers and English language skills of students at many rural schools, and the CBB expects to further enhance the project with the funds received from the competition. Over the last six years nearly 1,000 teachers have received training impacting on almost 100,000 pupils.

The Sponsor a Teacher scheme allows companies to contribute to the ELT project, by providing direct funding for one or more teachers on the programme, and establish links with teachers and schools in areas of the country that have some specific significance for them, such as a factory location, plantation etc.

For more information or to sponsor a teacher, please contact Kamani Bartholomeusz, Manager – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on tel 115588861, or email [email protected].