The Short Plays Short, Sweet and Snappy! The Short Plays were conceived in 2014 as a fundraiser for a new theatre by a fantastic past pupil, Mark Ball (LC class of 2014). Mark is a very successful and wellknown youth theatre facilitator and continues to support and help out Newpark Drama. This year he gave the playwrights very useful feedback. This is a short commitment event that includes the whole school community, past and present. The plays were written over the Autumn/Winter of 2019. The playwrights are a mixture of past pupils: Jack Knowles (2017), Colm Higgins (2014) and current pupils: Nakai Mudiwe (2nd Year), Abby Whelan, Rachel Baum, Sunny Cooling (Transition Year), and Hanna Novak (6th Year.). Some of them directed their own work and others didn’t. The actors were cast before Christmas, giving the playwrights time to finish off their scripts and give the cast some time prior to rehearsals to learn their lines. The directors worked with their casts for ONE week to create a magical and fun night of theatre. This year we also had two incredible bands and a very imaginative Dance piece. For many of the playwrights, directors, and performers, this has been their first experience of this. All funds raised went directly towards funding a new theatre (for which there are plans for currently in the works), and to keeping the Drama Department running. By Ms Cathy Devis (Producer)
I always knew I would come crawling back to Newpark Drama in some way or other, did I think it would be through dressing up as a clock during the short plays? No, not necessarily. However it was one of the funniest experiences I have had so far. Having done drama for the past year with college through mainly theory-based learning, I was excited to get back into more practical drama. I had so much fun rehearsing with Hanna and the cast and coming back to see new faces on stage along with old. Overall the plays were incredible, everyone should be so proud of the work they put in, each play had its own unique spin on what Newpark Drama is, and I couldn’t be more impressed. 36
I think the short plays are such an important part of Newpark Drama as they give the students and past pupils a chance to show exactly what it is that makes the drama department so special – co-operation. The short plays festival is Newpark Drama in its simplest form, with just over a week to rehearse and perform the shows. With all this pressure on a deadline you’d assume it’s a stressful experience but truthfully it’s one of the most laid back and enjoyable experiences you can have with Newpark Drama or any theatre. A big well done to everyone who got involved, especially all the writers and directors who worked so hard on creating such a unique set of plays. By Eoghan Funge (actor and past pupil)
The Short Plays are a great experience for students from all year groups that have an interest in exploring any aspect of the Hunter Theatre whether it’s acting, directing, script writing or anything behind the scenes. It’s all done in a week and it’s incredible how much is done in so little time. I’ve acted in the short plays several times before and it was always such a great time working with other year groups and past pupils and even teachers sometimes! Directing and bringing my own play to life was only possible with all of the wonderful talent that there is in the drama department. It’s a week of your life for an experience that will be more than worth it. I’d encourage anyone to take part. By Hanna Novak (director, writer), 6th Year