Julia, Year 11, Century Park Campus

The Drama programme at YCIS provides a broad horizon of opportunities to help students of all ages achieve greatness in the performing arts. When I first arrived at my school in Year 8, I knew that I was interested in participating in the annual drama production. With previous experience in the field, I was fascinated by the technique and process that goes into creating an entertaining and successful play, and I feel that YCIS has given me the experiences necessary for this.

Throughout all of the productions I've taken part in, I've come to realise the importance of teamwork in developing and showcasing our school's talent. An actor's cooperation, both with the other actors, as well as with the director, backstage crew, and sometimes the musical director, can affect a performance. A good example of this was in last year's spring production, “You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown”, one of our most successful and popular shows. As a musical, the actors had to work very closely with the music and voice directors, as well as with the musicians. In the song, “The Book Report”, it was important for me to pay close attention to musical cues in order to perform the song, and it was equally important for the musicians to take cues from me in order to carry on. This sort of teamwork can also come into play in the instance when an actor forgets their line onstage. If another actor has studied the play effectively in preparation for the performance, they will be able to move over errors and progress with the plot by adequately improvising lines that include future events.

However, I feel that the most important part of being in a production is to have a good time. By enjoying the performance, I think that the cast does better, because they're more absorbed in the emotion and engaged with what is happening onstage. I also think that it can strengthen the energy and overall atmosphere of a piece, keeping the audience entertained. This was evident in our production of “Godspell” during my first year at YCIS. Our enjoyment, through the acting, the singing, and the dancing brought out our passion for the performing arts, and we put on a wonderful show.

Of course, we wouldn't have any of this without our drama teachers, Mr Daley and Ms Howard. Together they've put together some terrific acts, with Ms Howard incorporating musical theatre numbers into our showcases, and Mr. Daley working with both Lower and Upper Secondary students to produce the upcoming spring play. As someone who has participated in countless productions and is finishing their last year of IGCSE Drama here at the YCIS Century Park Campus, I feel proud of our Drama programme, and I'm excited to see it grow even more, and to continue to provide students like myself with ample opportunities to take risks and express themselves onstage.