Drama

While drama is offered as a subject to all pupils in Form I, it really comes into its own in Transition Year and Form V. It is an important and popular element of the calendar and, with the completion of the new Lilburn Hall, productions have reached new heights of professionalism.

Boys are encouraged to become involved in all aspects of the staging process, from set building, lighting and direction, to design of programmes, photography, sales and promotion, and of course acting on the stage itself. Plays are chosen before the year begins, so that it can be cast and rehearsed thoroughly, without impeding the normal timetable. Parts are normally given to boys in Transition Year and Form V, with female roles filled by girls from nearby schools.

Often a play might be chosen for its relevance to the following year's Leaving Certificate. For example, 2009's highly praised production of King Lear, innovatively set during Ireland's Civil War of 1922, allowed Form V students taking part in the play to get a real feeling for the work as they encountered it in class.

 The 2012-2013 school year’s play, scheduled for late November 2012, is the now famous stage version of The Wizard of Oz. There is a great deal of anticipation and excitement already being generated for what is planning to be a truly first-class production. For more information on the May 2012 auditions follow the Yellow Brick Road to here.