GCSSDF – A Year Unlike Any Other

The Gold Coast Secondary School Drama Festival took on a digital format in 2020, allowing our acting elite the opportunity to represent the College at the festival. Throughout Term Three over 15 schools presented their entries for submission, where they were reviewed by adjudicators.

Adjudicators on the panel for the Festival were Hayden Jones from Shock Therapy Productions (for the Junior and Intermediate sections) and Tricia Clark-Fookes from QUT (for the Senior Section).

Our actors were given the opportunity to showcase their work to an audience of their families, peers and staff from the Somerset College community.

The 2020 Senior Play – Excerpts from Letters to Lindy written by Alana Valentine and directed by Mrs Anna D’Arcy received: 

Highly Commended Acting Award - Ella Hammond

Highly Commended Acting Award - Emma Lekich

Highly Commended Acting Award - Lilly McCoomb

Excerpts from Letters to Lindy was awarded the Senior Division Runner Up Shield. 

Congratulations to the Senior cast on this outstanding achievement.

The 2020 Intermediate Play – The Final Bell was directed by Yeva Brereton and Ella Kirk under the staff mentorship of Mr Tom Betts. Their expert guidance allowed their intermediate cast to thrive.

Congratulations to the Intermediate directors and cast on the following results: 

Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role – Louis Ladbrook

Best Dramatic Performance – Heidi Hoffman

Best Comedic Performance – Ava McCarthy

Highly Commended Acting Award – Niamh Rogers

Highly Commended Acting Award – Thomas Kilmartin

Highly Commended for Student Direction – Ella Kirk and Yeva Brereton

Finally, the 2020 Junior Play No Horse Town, written by Lindsay Price, was directed by Noah Jay working alongside Somerset Class of 2019 mentor, Ruby Sherrington. A hugely successful production that celebrated the rising acting talent existing at Somerset. The Junior Play received the following awards:

Outstanding Actor Award – River Teixiera

Outstanding Actor Award – Tarang Kondamudi

The Junior Division Medal of Creativity - Noah Jay, for outstanding student direction

No Horse Town received the Junior Division Winners Trophy. Congratulations to all members of the Junior Play on this impressive result.

Many thanks must go to the GCSSDF staff committee for working tirelessly to continue the festival in a year filled with many challenges. The Festival is an event that our student actors aspire towards, and I know how much it meant to all involved to have the opportunity to participate in 2020. The GCSSDF will continue in 2021, with performances scheduled to occur in Term Two. Expressions of interest for student directors will be advertised at the beginning of Term One, 2021, with auditions commencing in Week 5 of Term One.