Year 10 Drama Verbatim Performance

Verbatim theatre is a form of theatre in which plays are constructed from the precise words spoken by people interviewed about a particular event or topic. On Wednesday 18 October, the Year 10 Drama students provided their friends and family the chance to witness their Verbatim Theatre assessment performances.

Throughout the evening, the content and themes explored were incredibly varied. From a play that focused on the Port Arthur Massacre, to the stories of domestic violence survivors. Wrongly accused death row survivors, to the now resumed suburb of Brisbane, Cribb Island. The topics were sometimes brutal, sometimes shocking, but always fascinating and handled with respect.

The audience, however, was in for more of a surprise. The first performance of the evening, The Exonerated, sent the audience members walking through the wings and halls of the PA to view the performance. Every student went above and beyond to take their production and performance elements to the next level and create an exciting, engaging piece of theatre.

The second performance was a chilling exploration of the Port Arthur Massacre, with the students working with the Verbatim play Beyond The Neck as well as creating their own Verbatim text, through sourcing transcripts of police interviews, court documents and documentary interviews with survivors. This minimalistic yet confronting play recounted a historic event from a series of very different perspectives.

The third play followed the stories of five women and domestic violence survivors. It All Begins With Love used sound, projection and strong ensemble work to communicate the confronting material of the piece.

The final play of the evening was Cribbie. This play was a gentle, nostalgic performance focusing on the stories of the people who lived on Cribb Island, before it was resumed by the Federal government in order to extend the Brisbane Airport.

Overall, it was an entertaining and successful evening and was a great opportunity for the Year 10 Drama students to present work to an audience.