In their trimester of Drama, the Year 7s have learned about the theatrical conventions of ancient Greek theatre and applied these techniques to creating their own contemporary morality plays. Meanwhile, the Year 8s have learned storytelling techniques and how to engage young audiences by presenting dramatisations of popular children's books to the ELC students. This has become a staple activity in Year 8 Drama and one that the ELC children look forward to with each rotation of the Drama trimesters. By the end of the trimester, Year 8 students devise, produce and present their own original Children's Theatre performances incorporating puppetry, shadow play and miniaturisation, inspired by local theatre company Slingsby Presents.

Year 9 students have learned about physical approaches to devising and performing theatre. In Term 1, they produced short original pieces applying the physical devising building blocks of UK theatre company Frantic Assembly. The semester ended with a study of the exaggerated performance style of melodrama and the production of an original play I wrote for them titled ‘Of Love and Lobsters’. The story of love, intrigue and the triumph of good over evil sees the hero, Alexander Scampi, assemble an entourage to help save his beloved Lady Langoustine from three jealous villains, Baroness Camilla Rusé, Captain Ricardo and Count Vincent Della Courgette. The play contained all the usual melodramatic hallmarks, including heroes, villains, evil sidekicks, the damsel in distress and enough silly action to keep audiences entertained right up until the happy ending. The Year 9s also attended a performance of The Symphonie of the Bicycle, written and performed by local actor Hew Parnham at the Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre. Parnham’s quick wit and masterful physical comedy helped to inform students to develop their roles in a similar comic and exaggerated style.

While there was not a Year 10 Drama class in Semester 1, next semester the Year 10s will begin a practical workshop with local actor and theatremaker Rachel Burke from the State Theatre Company of South Australia. Rachel will guide students in the naturalistic character development techniques of Constantine Stanislavski and prepare students for their first performance in a realistic style. In Semester 2, Year 10 Drama will be taught using the SACE Stage 1 Integrated Learning subject outline, which will allow greater agency for students to apply dramatic theories and processes to inform their practical work through the 'Personal Venture' assessment type. Student learning will culminate in a final performance for which they will have complete creative oversight, including all technical aspects, reflecting the authentic work of theatremakers. Students will also receive 10 SACE credits at Stage 1 for Integrated Learning through this course.

The combined Year 11 and 12 SACE Drama class presented their production of Holly Robinson’s play ‘small’, an episodic drama about a group of people who sign up to a medical trial to be made young again. It explored complex themes such as estranged family relationships, abandonment, terminal illness and mental illness, the ethics involved in medical trials, and the courageous act of growing up. The play was demanding for the company, who rose to the challenge and produced a thought-provoking and emotionally charged performance. Students prepared for their work by viewing ‘Guuranda’ and ‘Black is the Colour of My Voice’ in the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe Festival, and participated in some practical skills workshops with State Theatre actor Nathan O’Keefe.

While the Year 12s now prepare for their externally assessed investigation, the Year 11s will establish a theatre company that they will build over Stage 1 and 2 with a season of works that reflect their company values and mission. Work has already commenced on an original play that is being penned by me and workshopped by the company that deals with the increasing costs of living, homelessness and the quest for authenticity in an artificial world. The play will be performed in Term 4.