DramFest 2025 - Competition Timetables and Important Information

Feb 28 2025

Please find the full competition timetables linked below:

In advance of Saturday and Sunday 1 and 2 March:

The DramFest Timetable has been emailed to all parents, posted in all the student’s ‘Google Classrooms’ and will also be available on the Drama Dept notice board.
The list and order of competitors in each competition, including whether they are in groups A or B, has been displayed on the drama notice board(outside room 38) from Monday 24 February.
Students should be rehearsing their individual pieces every evening to make sure they are ready for their competitions. Duologues should be rehearsed in school with partners either at lunchtimes or before or after class time.
Type up the pieces! *All competitors need to have a clean copy of their pieces to bring in with them on the day of their competition* This is for the adjudicator and so should be printed out before coming to school. **please note that we will not have access to the school printers at the weekend.
The students must bring in any parts of their costume that they require, from home. There will be practice skirts available in school to borrow for a period piece, if required.

Before you leave the house on the day of the competitions:

Students should be wearing black for the public speaking, group impromptu, improvisation and poetry speaking competitions.
All drama competitions such as solo drama or drama duologues may be fully costumed if you wish, or have a just a hint of the period the piece is from. Remember to bring any items of costume from home.
The students should remember to bring in any props that they are using for their drama pieces. Any unusual items can be borrowed from the drama teachers, if we have them, but must be arranged in advance.
Public speaking students must remember to bring their prompt cards with them and anything that they might need for visual aids (if using).

When you get to school:

Competitors need to sign in at least 15 minutes before their competition, at the desks in the concourse. They will be given a number which they must wear for that competition and they will be told which waiting room to go to.
Each competition will be assigned to a venue: *The Lecture Theatre, *The JS Concourse, *Rooms 23/24 and *The Art Room.
Each of these venues will have a particular waiting room where the students must stay until they are called to their competition.
When the competition begins, each competitor will be announced by a TY Attendant and they will take their place in the performance space. They must set up their stage before announcing the title and the adjudicator will tell them when to begin. When they have finished, they should clear the floor for the next competitor and return to the audience.
When all the competitors in your category have performed, there will be a five minute wait whilst the adjudicator makes her decisions. Then she will stand and speak briefly about what she was looking for in that competition, before announcing her winners from Highly Commended, to First place. The number of medals/certificates that are awarded is based on the number of entries in any competition and, of course, the standard of work.
If you have qualified or have been nominated to go forward to a final round on Sunday afternoon, you will be notified at the end of your competition.

The Final Rounds, Sunday 2 March (Senior School students):

There will be two adjudicators at each of the Final Round Competitions.
Students who have placed first or second in any poetry competition, incl. Sonnet, will go forward to compete in either the Junior (1st-3rd Year) and Senior (4th-6th Year) Poetry Final.
Students who have placed first or second in any duo drama competition from 1st-3rd Year will go forward to compete in the Junior Drama Duologue Final.
Students who have placed first or second in any solo drama competition from 1st-3rd Year, will go forward to compete in the Junior Solo Drama Final.
Students who have placed first or second in any of the prepared speech competitions from 1st to 3rd Year, will go forward to compete in the Junior Public Speaking Final.
Students who have placed first or second in any solo drama competition from 4th-6th Year, incl. the Classical Competitions, will go forward to compete in the Senior Solo Drama Final.
Students who have placed first or second in any duo drama competition from TY – 6th Year will go forward to compete in the Senior Drama Duologue Final.
The adjudicators can nominate any comedy performances they wish from any competition to go forward to compete in in either the Junior (1st-3rd Year) or Senior (4th-6th Year) Comedy Award Final.

The Awards Ceremony, Sunday 2 March 18:00, Senior School Concourse

Senior School