Gold Coast Secondary Schools Drama Festival 2021

And that’s a wrap; the curtain has closed on the 2021 Gold Coast Secondary School Drama Festival. It was wonderful to welcome audiences back to the GCSSDF in 2021.

Throughout Weeks 5 to 7 of Term Two, 30 plays were performed across three venues. The performances showcased the high calibre of acting and directing skills possessed by young artists from all over the Gold Coast who were proudly representing their schools. The most important aspect of the annual festival (now in its 49th year) is allowing students the opportunity to work through the process of interpreting a play text or devising a new work, collaborating to bring a directorial vision to life on stage for an audience.

The Junior Section (Years 7 and 8) launched the festival season, hosted by Somerset College.

The Lost Property Rules by Matthew Ryan was directed by Year 11 students, Anastasia Kouts and Brigette Newing, under the staff mentorship of Mrs Sarah Hossy and Ms Rebekah Ward. Our junior cast delighted the audience with their strong sense of ensemble and unique characterisation.

The Junior play was fortunate to receive the following awards during adjudication:

• Outstanding Actor Trophies awarded to Austin Dover and Hamish Kennedy.
• Adjudicator Trophy awarded to Raye FengXu for strong character acting.
• Medal of Creativity awarded to Anastasia Kouts and Brigette Newing for directing.
• The Somerset College entry received the GCSSDF Junior Runner Up shield.

Week 2 of the festival saw the Intermediate Section take to the stage, hosted by Trinity Lutheran College. The Fledglings by Maxine Mellor was directed by Year 11 students, Louis Ladbrook and Nico Verin, under the staff mentorship of Mrs Anna D’Arcy and technical expertise of Mr Sam Cash. Our intermediate cast engaged the audience with their innovative use of technical elements and strong ensemble work.

The Intermediate play was fortunate to receive the following awards during adjudication:

• Outstanding Actor Trophy awarded to Ava McCarthy.
• The Somerset College entry received the GCSSDF Intermediate Runner Up shield.

The final week of the festival was the Senior Section, hosted by Saint Stephen's College. Chasing the Whale by Matthew Ryan was directed by Ms Josephine Flynn, assisted with technical design by Mr Sam Cash. Our amazing Senior cast of Eva Wingrove, Calvin Walther, Soumia Lamont, Daniel Harvey and Jess Kirk found the rhythm of the work and were commended on their precision of timing and sophisticated design elements.

The Senior play was fortunate to receive the following awards during adjudication:

• Outstanding Actor Trophies awarded to Daniel Harvey and Jess Kirk.

Congratulations to the GCSSDF team for 2021!

Many thanks to all participants, parents/guardians, and staff for their commitment to the extensive rehearsal process. To our actors and directors, we are so incredibly proud of the work you created. We look forward to doing it all again in 2022.