Masterpiece Theater on display at the Senior School Production of "Antigone"

Last week saw the senior school perform their version of the Greek classic Antigone. After many months of hard work and an enormous amount of line learning the students from year 9 through to year 13 created a remarkable and challenging piece of work. There were excellent performances from all the students. The chorus produced an excellent display of ensemble work whilst the principal characters were able to communicate the complex text with real skill. The characters of Eteocles and Polynices opened the play with an intense and stylized fight which set the tragic undertone for the rest of the play. 

I have never directed a more challenging piece of work for school students before and I was amazed at how our students were able to handle such mature themes and concepts with such ease. I am inspired by every one of them and I would like to thank them for their efforts and engagement in the process. 

We had tremendous support from students back stage who took on the mighty responsibility of keeping people safe with a lot of blind scene changes. The whole process was made a pleasure and relatively stress free by the amazing and creative contributions of Arundathi Ekanayake as assistant Director.  

We had a good turnout from members of the wider school community, who I think may not have been expecting to see such a tour de force of classical performance and were bowled over by the level of skill on display.  

In the coming years we hope to create many more challenging pieces of work with artistic integrity at their heart. We aim for BSC to be renowned for their ability to push the boundaries of what is expected of school theatre whilst still providing an avenue for the whole school to come together in joyful celebration.  

Antigone says in the play “goodbye to the sun that shines for me no longer’, well the sun was certainly shining on the dramatic arts at the BSC last week and long may its day remain sunny.  

Jacob Rusling

Head of Drama