Drama
Drama is all about expression, not only of yourself but of different characters, characters that tell stories that can reflect our own lives.
These stories and characters can capture life and human behaviour and entertain people by mirroring not only their lives, but the people around them. Drama is an important piece of life. It entertains, it teaches and it is an amazing passion that is shared among the TY students of Our Lady’s College, Drogheda. In Transition Year, Students are given the confidence, the support and the freedom to create their own drama pieces and learn the importance of teamwork and co-operation in order to act and express this art.
Cold Fury
Audiences thoroughly enjoyed the production of Cold Fury which took place in December at Our Lady’s College. The production was many things – murder mystery/ comedy/ musical and dance spectacular which highlighted the multi-talented cast of Transition and Fifth Year students. ColdFurywas conceived in drama class by teachers Gráinne Diskin, Aileen Hanratty, Tim O’Connell and Liam Reilly. The play was a collaborative effort by students from Our Lady’s College and St Mary’s Diocesan School. “It took a great deal of effort, dedication, and teamwork from staff and students, but we loved every moment despite the hard work,” said Ms Hanratty.
Business tycoon Frank Harrigan is shot dead at a high society party. The room is filled with many people who have a grudge against the man – his sons, the mayor, his mistress. How will Detective Phillip Hunter crack the case? “I thought I was watching a musical production from London’s West End,” commented one audience member. “It was so entertaining,” said another, “from the Charleston Dance number to the old fashioned silent film scene featuring a run-away train – very imaginative.”
The play has been entered into a national drama competition.
The production was co-directed by Ele Quinn with Niamh Cunningham as Production Manager. A full list of the staff and students who contributed to the success of Cold Fury can be seen in the programme link.
Opening Nights
From the 21st-23rd October Greenhills and the public saw ‘Opening Nights’ the musical that TY have been working on for 3 years. The entire project was written by the students themselves with great help from Ms. Hanratty. The present TY group came in this year not knowing the tedious work ahead of them but without delay they jumped in head first.
With two months of preparation, many afternoon rehearsals, take away pizzas and dress rehearsals, dazzling costumes and sets painted to perfection we were ready for the stage. It was now the turn of Ms. Hanratty to watch proudly as her actresses and actors played a blinder.(Even if she was underneath the table!)
After 3 sell-out nights we were exhausted but we smiled as we got amazing reviews all round. Many thanks to all members of the cast who made the show their own, to everybody back stage who painted and turned sets, to all the teachers who took turns helping. But all of this would not have been possible without the unique songs of Una O’Boyle, music by Mr. Brennan, Ms. Diskin’s amazing choir and band, to Ms. Rafferty’s amazing costumes, Mr McGrane and last, but not least, Ms. Hanratty who made this happen with endless hours of work.
Extracts from the show were performed on Open night, 11 November. The TY’s are also busy redirecting the show. This is to take part in a competition for Transition year students only which will take place some time in the New Year. We would also like to thank the Assembly Hall TY group who undertook the production and sale of our beautiful programme. This was their Mini Company project and was a great success with a helping hand from Ms. Mc Kenna.
Lately an adaptation of the musical has progressed through two stages of the competition to reach the finals which will be held in Macroom, Co. Cork.
(TY students, Dec 2008)
Sirens
Having perfected their performance over the past months, Transition Year students finally made it on the big stage in the All Ireland School Drama Competition in Macroom, Co. Cork. Their 30-minute drama, ‘Sirens’, made it through the arduous initial qualifying stages in Dublin and Mullingar early in the year onto a thirteen strong shortlist of schools from around the country. A group of some seventy students and teachers travelled to the Rebel County on Saturday, February 28th with their heads held high and their fingers crossed in the hope of success. Despite the high standards of competition, the long journey proved fruitful as they landed three trophies in what was the ninth annual All Ireland Transition Year Drama Festival.
The girls finished overall runner-ups to Blackwater Community College from Co. Waterford and received a beautiful glass trophy and €500 in prize money. They were also awarded first prizes in Costume Design and Best Original Script. Though outright success was not to be, the girls were understandably delighted to with their achievement. The Greenhills team were extremely well prepared by Ms. Aileen Hanratty, Mr Paul Brennan and Ms Gráinne Diskin for their performance and owe a great depth of gratitude to all their teachers, including Ms Helen Rafferty who prepared the costumes.
Special thanks also to David O`Boyle who played the Ghostly Phantom, Sean Tester who played the Sea King and Danny Johnson who was Richard. The three boys, students of St Joseph’s CBS and St Mary’s had been attending drama classes in Our Lady`s College as part of an exchange programme.
The Girls are also extremely grateful to Ms. Una O`Boyle whose original songs formed the backbone to the drama. Without her, this success would not have been possible.
(From Yearbook 2009)
