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By Kshalini Nonis

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The auditorium of St. Bridget’s Convent will transform into drama, emotion and artistic brilliance as the school presents Riptide 2024 on December 2 and 3. The much anticipated production promises to be an unforgettable experience of theatre and performance art. We had a chat with Co- Presidents of the Drama Society Olu Wadigasinghe and Dhiluky Jayawardena.

 

The first play is a different take on the classic tale of Robin Hood. The story revolves around a not-so-dashing, handsome outlaw and his Merry Men, as he goes on a quest to rescue the love of his life. This action-packed comedy is sure to keep the audience laughing right throughout.

 

The second play tells a thought-provoking and moving story about a soldier who is sitting on a mine. The rightly titled Booby Trap, written by Ed Monk, portrays the anguish of imminent death, with the flashbacks and memories tinged with deep regret that come with his impending end.

 

The third play is the extract from The Comedy of Errors that our Shakespeare cast won the All-Island Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition with. This hilarious comedy is a whirlwind of chaotic events, packed with mistaken identities, and slapstick humour. The story follows two sets of identical twins separated at birth, and their misadventures brought on by the confusion that ensues their meeting. Our talented cast won the awards for Best Actress, Best Comedic Portrayal and Best Stagecraft at the competition.

 

 

We chose to perform these three wildly different plays because we believe each one offers unique opportunities for our young actresses to explore and express a wide range of emotions. From the laugh-out-loud chaos of The Comedy of Errors, to the romance in Robin Hood, to the deep, complex feelings portrayed in Booby Trap, each play allows our cast to dive into different emotional landscapes along with the audience, while testing out their abilities and talents in the different genres of theatre.

 

 

The theme of Riptide 2024 represents the ability of theatre to engulf audiences in waves of emotions. Through their moving performances, actors can draw in their audience like the tide, taking them from laughter to tears within minutes.

 

 

Our talented cast includes the members from the Drama Society, ages ranging  from 11-19 years. Most of the main  characters in our plays were part of the winning Shakespeare cast, including the winner for Best Actress, Dhiluky Jayawardena, and the winners of Best Comic Portrayal, Saveena Wijeratne and Shanya de S. Wijeyeratne, Olu Wadigasinghe, Nadha Maharoof, Anithra De Alwis and Suette Kumarage are a few members of our talented cast.

 

 

After a hiatus of 7 years, the Drama Society of St. Bridget’s Convent is presenting a production, with the intention of showcasing the talents of our young actresses on stage.

 

 

We will also be performing dance items of varying styles, including hip-hop, jazz ballet and breakdancing, taking our audience through the eras with the evolution of dance, with songs by artists such as the iconic Backstreet Boys. Musical theatre items and solos will also be performed, including songs from popular musicals such as Annie and Dear Evan Hansen, to showcase the soulful voices of our thespians.

 

 

We will also be having several food stalls during both  days of our production, equipped to provide our audience with refreshments, before and after our performance.

 

Tickets can be purchased by contacting the following numbers- 072 451 4661 for the show on the 2 nd , and 077 196 0942 for the show on the 3 rd . They are priced at Rs.2500, Rs.2000 and Rs.1500.

 

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Pix courtesy Sunday Times

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