Festival of
English-Language
School
Theatre
ALEA ASSOCIATION LUXEMBOURGEOISE DES ENSEIGNANTS D’ANGLAIS
Under the Patronage of
Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador John Marshall and the British Embassy Luxembourg
it’s a wonderful idea to organise a weekend festival of short English-language plays by school drama groups. So I’d like to congratulate
BGT English Theatre Company and ALEA (Association Luxembourgeoise des Enseignants Anglais) for their initiative and for implementing it so successfully. Congratulations too to the schools for volunteering, and in advance to the students, both performers and backstage, for what I am sure will be very accomplished and enjoyable performances.
I am aware that while for some of the performers English will be their mother tongue, for the majority it will not. Whether English is a language you are learning, or it is the language you speak at home I think there is a lot that performing English theatre can teach you about the language – in terms of the richness of its vocabulary, the diversity of its sounds and structures and the versatility of it usage. Performing plays in English will I am sure give everyone greater confidence in using it.
I know too that for many students in Luxembourg, English may be the fourth or even fifth language that they learn. I have huge admiration for those who master several languages and can only offer the reassurance that learning English, the lost commonly spoken language in the world, and the language of science, computers, finance, diplomacy and so many other sectors, it is well worth the effort. And hopefully performing English-language theatre will make learning even more rewarding and fun.
Thank you to everyone in the audience for supporting the Festival through your presence this weekend, to the Mierscher Kulturhaus for hosting the Festival, to the Minister of Education Mr Claude Meisch and his Ministry for their encouragement and to all sponsors, as set out in the programme, for their support.
Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador John Marshall
Friday 23th February
19.20
30-MINUTE HAMLET
St Georges’ International school presents a reinvention of Shakespeare’s classic tale of betrayal, revenge and soul-searching. Hamlet’s Danish castle of Elsinore, Shakespeare’s original setting
for this play, exists only in the mind of our contemporary Hamlet. After Hamlet’s father has
died and his mother has married his uncle, Hamlet becomes increasingly disturbed, indicated onstage by the presence of medical staff and the hint of a 1900’s “mad-house”. The audience are given an insight into Hamlet’s ever troubled psychological state. When the ghost of his dead father tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his uncle, Hamlet swears to take revenge. The themes of madness and fate are communicated through the ensemble movement and choral speech, making sense of the challenging text which leads into the final duel scene where Hamlet’s fate is sealed. Dark, magical and disturbing.
CAST LIST
Matteo Degregori • Ensemble Liaquat Hakeem • Ensemble Sacha Utting • Ensemble
Inge Van Doorn • Ensemble
Neo Roloff • Ensemble Eva Oskardottir • Ophelia Simon Svensson • Hamlet Isabel Scoble • Ensemble Euan Jenkins • Ensemble Sjoerd Van Doorn • Ensemble Blagoj Naumov • Ensemble
DIRECTORS
Clare Williams, Stephanie Chanter
Friday 23th February
20.30
THE BRIGHT BLUE MAILBOX SUICIDE NOTE
by Lindsay Price
Produced by special agreement with Theatrefolk (www.theatrefolk.com) With thanks to Marcel Kramer and Isabelle Oberlé for their support
Jake is a normal teenage guy. But his world is turned upside down when he finds a suicide note in his mailbox which is not addressed to him. Who sent it? Is it a cry for help? And what should he do about it? As these questions begin to obsess him, driving a wedge between him and his closest friends; and this is made worse when he discovers that his closest friend had attempted suicide, but didn’t tell him. We are given a sometimes funny sometimes moving look at the often destructive effect which suicide has on the people touched by it.
CAST LIST Tim Heymans • Jake Ben Heinrich • Ken Anne Eyschen • Karen Liz Weiler • Mae
Corinne Louis • Beebee
Soraia Pina • Lisa Mathilde Raffaelli • Denise Hui Shan Zhou • Joan
Isabelle Xhonneux • Mrs Westlake/Mrs Arscott
Kathleen Correia Gonçalves • The Girl
DIRECTORS
Nathalie Bintener, Tony Kingston
Saturday 24th February
14.00
PETER PAN AND THE LOST CHILDREN
Adapted by Mike Goergen and Jenny Schank from the play by J.M. Barrie
A slightly new take on a story that everybody knows: Peter Pan is the boy who is eternally young and lives in Neverland with his companions the Lost Children and the fairy Tinkerbell. They live the ideal childhood life of fantasy and adventure, battling with their adversary Captain Hook. But when Peter brings Wendy Darling and her brothers to stay with them, the Lost Children begin to question their desire to never grow up…
CAST LIST
Bryan Aries • Peter Pan
Angie Balthasar • Mrs Darling, Gladys, Pirate Luis Da Costa Almeida • Michael Jessica Dias Di Pinto • Tinker Bell Geneviève Heck • Chip
Nicolas Keiffer • Porkling Marko Popovic • John Andrew Schmitz • Sparrow Xenia Simon • Wendy
Pit Sinner • Mr Darling, Captain Hook Valentino Stamerra • Treasure, Shadow Joy Shannon Thom • Pearl
Jason Winchester • Gander
DIRECTORS
Mike Goergen, Lynn Peters, Jenny Schank
STAGE DESIGN
under the direction of Danielle Harsch Lena Bollinger • Rebecca Meis • Kelly Roesgen • Jose Santos Rocha • Mandy Simões Janeco
COSTUMES, PROPS AND MAKE-UP
Catarina Lopes • Bruno Pinto Martins • Diego Prussen • Jana Salentiny • Béatrice Samimi • Jason Simões Rodrigues • Abigail Menem
MUSIC
performed by Cheryl Wagner
Saturday 24th February
15.15
Die Nibelungen – Reloaded. Part I
Devised by Sarah Lippert and Yann Ketter
Reluctantly Toby and Patty prepare a presentation of the ‚Nibelungen‘-story for their German Class. In general Toby would prefer any video-game to a book, but somehow the story about Siegfried, the dragon slayer, captures his attention. The story of Siegfried, Kriemhild, Gunter, Hagen and the Valkyrie Brunhild soon becomes so engrossing that Toby can no longer distinguish his reality from the
fictional world of the book. Everything becomes narration; the dividing lines between reader, narrator and narrative dangerously melt and Toby wonders if he has become part of a greater story himself…
CAST LIST
Anna Margit Götz • Patty
Mike Stein • Toby Nils Elsen • Siegfried Paula Henkes • Brunhild Sine Kooy • Kriemhild Nicolas Lech • Hagen
Ana De Sousa Neves • Gunter Samuel Cerqueda de Oliveira • Gernot Lou Rippinger • Norn 1
Marie Kolber • Norn 2
Joana Da Silva Pinho • Norn 3
Laura Kuhlmann • Warrior 1
Sam Birden • Warrior 2
DIRECTORS
Sarah Lippert, Yann Ketter
Saturday 24th February
16.30
UN·BOXED
Devised by ISL students & Susi Muller
In this project 7 brave students set out to devise an original play, with nothing to start from but a working title and a vast, seemingly inexhaustible topic: individuality. In the devising process many questions were asked: What is individuality? What does individuality mean to me? My hair, my clothes, my opinions, my sensibility? Or my ability to build a computer, play an unusual instrument, or stand alone on stage? When am I my true self? How much bravery do I need to do things differently from everyone else? Is it still possible to be individual in a world where every idea seems to be stolen from somewhere else? Do I even want to be different from others, or do I like my box just fine?
un·boxed is the result of an intensive 6-week devising process using improvisation, play and experimentation;
both the process and the product were, literally, un·boxed! In this original, student-devised work, personal and fictional elements flow together to make a non-conventional performance.
CAST LIST
Francesca Casalena • Jory Dele • Madalynn Harger • Bhuvi Jain • Kieran Jamieson • Ekaterina Kharina • Cerys Williams
DIRECTOR
Susi Muller
Saturday 24th February
19.00
SPLIT
by Bradley Hayward
Produced by special agreement with Theatrefolk (www.theatrefolk.com)
With thanks to the Federation of Parents’ Associations of the European Schools, Luxembourg (FAPEEEL)
Bradley Hayward’s tragi-comic play tracks the lives of nine teenagers dealing with the separation of
their parents and the break-up of their homes. Through a rapid sequence of short and often comic monologues and dialogues, we see how they react with aggression or sorrow, with defiance or cynicism or simply by
burying themselves in themselves. But underneath it all they all want the same thing … a home.
CAST LIST Villö Kozma • Priss Emma Nec¸sa • Hype
Johan Maggiore • Strange Nikola Zirdum • Flex Isabel Jenkin • Hands Zala Kodriˇc • Flair Bogdan Badale • Snark Ailsa Tyrrell • Chill
Ana-Maria Badea • Brood
Daniel Haselock • Flex’s Coach/Prison Officer/Flex’s Father/Chill’s Brother/Snark’s Friend
Claudia Bruno • Therapist/Hands’ Mum/Flex’s Girlfriend
Juliette Hardy-Kim • Hair Stylist/Hype’s Mother/Baby-Sitter
Emma Herbály • Theatre Director/A.A. Sponsor/Flair’s Mother/Priss’ Step-Sister/Rival
Sofia Foti • Waitress/Snark’s Step-Mother/Religious Minister
Ekin Cotuk • Doctor/Chill’s Mother/Strange’s Counsellor/Spiritual Guru
Angelique Natsinas • School Principal/Brood’s Foster Mother/Drunk Party-Goer
DIRECTOR
Tony Kingston
Saturday 24th February
20.15
DNA
by Dennis Kelly
This amateur production of “DNA” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited.
A group of teenagers do something bad, really bad, then panic and cover
the whole thing up. But when they find that their cover-up unites them and brings harmony to their once fractious lives, where is the incentive to put things right?
CAST LIST Céleste Hagen • Maddy Nora Gillen • Jan Fernanda Anjos • Leah
Yannick Santos Morais • Phil Sara Dondelinger • Lou Max Molling • John Tate Léa Weber • Dani
Claire Pundel • Rebecca Maite Bonifas • Cathy Anne Lauer • Beth Emeline Trabut • A Girl
DIRECTORS
Heather Drewett, Teresa Annicchiarico
Saturday 24th February
21.30
WAR AT HOME
by Nicole Quinn & Nina Shengold
Produced by special agreement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com) With thanks to Jean-Claude Hemmer for his support
On September 11th 2001 two planes were hijacked and flown directly into the World Trade Towers in New York City. In the months following this world-shattering event, two writers ran workshops with students from Roundout High School in New York State, charting their conflicting emotions as the events unfolded. Using the students’ own words, they created a piece of theatre tracing the feelings of ordinary people when their world is turned upside down … and reminding us that the repercussions are still with us today all around the world.
CAST LIST Zoé Niclou • Patriot Pol Bannasch • Jock Jasmin Sabri • Artist
Cassandra Koehler • Freshman Greta Reavis • Worrier Fortesa Alijaj • Firebrand Lyna Meyrer • Mother
Diogo Rodrigues • Slacker Dude Tessy Kuffer • Cheerleader Annik Schroeder • Bully
Jonas Sabri • Teacher
Ilaria Galeota • Introvert
Diogo Rodrigues • Hollywood Executive Pol Bannasch & Zoé Niclou • Screenwriters Jonas Sabri • Arab Man
Greta Reavis • Singer
Karl Pierce • Voice of PA Announcer
DIRECTORS
Elisabeth Heiter, Tony Kingston
Sunday 25th February
14.30
A HUMAN WRITE
by Amy Sutton
Produced by arrangement with Lazy Bee Scripts
With thanks to Martin Wedel, Phil Taylor and the Federation of Parents’ Associations of the European Schools, Luxembourg (FAPEEEL)
The Writer works in a café, doing a tedious job while he tries to find the one great idea which will make his name. And he lives alone … except, of course, for all the voices and ideas that share his flat with him, desperately looking for a story to make them complete. At first just begging him to write, these voices slowly become more aggressive in their attempts to force him to write. Who is really in control: the writer or his ideas?
CAST LIST
Sarah D’Aversa • Voice 1
Linda Lucius • Voice 2
Elena de Kort • Voice 3
Hanna Välilä • Voice 4
Valeria Masheva • Voice 5
Kateryna Yerofyeyeva • Voice 6
Marta Gilotti • Voice 7
Marks Polakovs • The Writer Kateryna Yerofyeyeva • Janis Linda Lucius • The Teacher
DIRECTOR
Tony Kingston
Sunday 25th February
15.30
THE LAST SONG
Devised by the girls of the Notre Dame Sainte-Sophie English Drama Group
To fit in when you are a newcomer in a boarding school is not to be taken for granted. Singing is a passion for Grace but her classmates are not really ready for some new energy and new ideas in their comfortable group life. People say that music soothes the soul, so let’s check if this is true and let’s follow this bunch of girls who have taken up the challenge to create an original story for this occasion, from writing to staging and singing.
CAST LIST Anna Penzo • Alison Aoife Brady • Annie
Filippa Christensen • Grace
Maddie Adam • Jessica
Thaïs Voillemot • Lou • Penin ??????
Leonor Violette • Luna
Aaliyah Martin • Pepper
DIRECTOR
Nicholas Staentz, Bettina Richarme
F.E.S.T. organised by
FESTIVAL DIRECTORS Laure Schreiner (ALEA) & Tony Kingston (BGT)
TREASURER Valérie Olinger (ALEA)
BACKSTAGE ORGANISER June Lowery
BACKSTAGE TEAM Bjørn Clasen, Robin Edds, Manou Gonçalves, Helena O’Hare, Dorota Siewert, Arnaud Fis
PROJECT SUPERVISOR (MERSCH) Jessica Cimander TECHNICAL SUPERVISOR (MERSCH) Jonas Fairon LIGHTING AND SOUND ENGINEERS Discolux
With special thanks to Karin Kremer and all the staff of the Mierscher Kulturhaus for their support.
Under the Patronage of Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador John Marshall and the British Embassy Luxembourg
A very warm Thank You to our sponsors