Royal College Colombo brings shakespearean times to life
bagging awards and recognition at three Drama Competitions
The Royal College Drama Society traditionally enters the longest running InterSchool Shakespeare Drama Competition organised by the YMCA Colombo along with the Interact Club of Colombo North. Over the past dozen years, the Royal College Drama Society while winning the championship for two years, was runner up on six occasions.
This year, for the 40th edition of the competition, the Royal College Shakespeare 2012 cast led by Rashmin de Silva chose to perform an extract from ‘Romeo and Juliet’. A mixed bunch of Royalists with a passion for drama met in late August for auditions with director Thushara Hettihamu.
The semi finals for the 17 boys schools were held on 18th and 19th of September, and Royal College crew booked a berth in the finals with very strong reviews about their outstanding performance.
The finals of All Island Inter Schools Shakespeare Drama Competition 2012 were held on the 06th of October in front of a packed audience at the Bishop’s College Auditorium. Royal College emerged First Runner Up, with the Shakespeare Challenge Trophy being awarded to D. S. Senanayake for an innovative interpretation of an extract from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.Deshith Gamage of Royal College was Best Supporting Actor for his role as Mercutio.
Royal College had also entered the inaugural Annual Inter-School Drama Competition organised by the Council for Business with Britain (CBB) in collaboration with the British Council.The evening of the Finals on 21st October saw Royal College put up a stunning performance of an extract from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as they brought to stage some lively and realistic scenes from Shakespearean times.
Royal College won the Championship Trophy at this inaugural CBB Inter-School Drama Competition 2012.The excellence in the direction was also recognised with director Thushara Hettihamu being awarded the prize for Best Director. On 26th October,the Royal College Shakespeare Drama Cast 2012 gave another performance of an extract from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the Theatre Fest 2012, an interschool Shakespeare Drama Competition organised in association with Trinity College London. The standard of Royal College drama was clearly recognised by the examining Trinity College London judge who went onto say,“I think we nearly got perfection”, as their performance emerged victorious over other leading schools in the final round.
The remarkable direction of the play by Thushara Hettihamu saw him being awarded Best Director at this competition as well. The vast talent of the actors was also evident as Mario Wijayawardhana as the Nurse was given the award for the Best Characterisation and Deshith Gamage as Mercutio was awarded Best Supporting Male Portrayal.
With two championship shields and a first runner up trophy, a memorable theatre season for Royal College truly brought to life Shakespeare’s notion that “All the world’s a stage!”