Earlier this month, we hosted our much-anticipated annual House Drama Competition, the most unique, hilarious, and competitive night in the Campbell College Diary, and the evening did not disappoint.

House Drama is a true reflection of the Campbell College spirit - where every boy is encouraged to express themselves, try new things, and build lasting friendships through shared experiences.

Jacob Mounstephen (Year 13, Dobbin’s) attended this year’s House Drama Competition and shared his thoughts on the night. Here’s what he had to say about the event… 

“I doubt anything you see is going to be of a great standard…”  - Mr S McClure

Thankfully, this quote aged poorly, as proven by the thunderous laughter and applause that closely followed every scene change, every bad accent, every joke, and every bow. House Drama provided the absolute perfect evening entertainment for students and visitors alike, and although technically a competition between houses, the real winners were the attendees, on the stage or not.

Heading the event were the “slightly less convincing Ant and Dec” (another excerpt from Mr S McClures rousing welcome): Michael Bradbury and Thomas Costello, who not only seated the audience but introduced them to each individual act; not without a few snide, but welcomingly humorous, comments.

Taking the stage first was Dobbin's house, immediately the stage curtains open and close haphazardly to a scene of panic among actors and stagehands. This is ‘Streuth’: a botched whodunnit story, full of bad accents, terrible line reading, gender confusion and golf swings with a bloody murder weapon, all smashed together to create a hilariously jarring performance. Characters include Ben Hooper's obnoxiously English general whose most notable line (and perhaps only real line) is “By jove!” There's also Harry McDonald’s Inspector, who's just as confused as the audience is when the murderer has to reveal himself three separate times…

Next up was Allison's rendition of ‘Snow White’ featuring not six, not seven, but EIGHT whole dwarfs. This tale of friendship, love, jealousy, and betrayal is a spot-on retelling of the classic fairy tale; only now with an acrobatic dwarven disco to elevate the story's message to new heights. No doubt the standout of the show was the evil queen, who stole the hearts and humours of the audience in a perfect embodiment of the character - a villain you can't help but love for all their evilness.

“Exuberant” - Mrs Dette Coughlin, judge

“I'm sure we can all agree that this was the main event” - Michael Bradbury, host (Allison's house)

Third to take the stage was Price’s with perhaps the most creative, and definitely the most different, play of the evening; simply ‘an audience’. Students and visitors in the actual audience were presented with practically a mirror image of their own seating, however, it soon became clear we were in for a more pleasant show than they were… Prices displayed a number of relatable viewing experiences with great

hilarity: Awkward conversations with the person next to you, nagging couples, loud babies, complaining about ticket prices and, most problematically, realising too late what type of performance you've come to see… Those two husbands were in for a shock, but £500 is £500 after all.

“A very subtle piece of modern theatre” - Mrs Emma Mcgarrity, judge

Rounding off the first half of the evening was Yate’s house; the curtains open to reveal a casual game of cards in a shady area, with each player muttering to each other, focused intently on the game. At the head of the table the players are disturbed by a cleaner, whose fascination for tidiness rubs the players the wrong way. The setting and atmosphere in this piece is startlingly impressive, and each actor personifies this in their tones and cadences, all to create a gritty and darkly humorous story.

“That was better than I expected” - Thomas Costello, host

“I dread to think what you were expecting” - Mr Mark McKee, judge

After the interval, we were catapulted back into the action by none other than Davis’s house, who electrified the atmosphere with their, seemingly Belfast exclusive, version of ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Watch your favourite characters in their struggles for love and revenge, all the while exploring the accursed castle of the beast, also known as boarding. They also featured familiar grounds such as Longfield pitches, Netherleigh Lake and even the CCB library, complete with Ms Skipper. However, what really sold the play was the acting; notably Gaston and Belle's dynamic, not to mention their traditional Belfast accents and mannerisms. This action-packed rendition of the story once again proves that looks can be deceiving, but accents are forever.

“Panto material” - Mrs Dette Coughlin, judge

Penultimately, School house returned after a year wearing the House Drama crown; now having chosen “A Christmas Carol” to perform. And what a performance it was! School house couldn't just do the old Charles Dickens classic after all; they had to do it all in 5x times speed, with a tiny cast and increasingly enraged directors. A mix of non-actors, simply roped in, along with ‘over-actors’ creates a tense but witty comedy of events. The triple threat of directors was the highlight of the show, especially when certain nervous actors were forcibly ventriloquized to keep the play moving. Scrooge himself is once again an old grinch, played terrifically as seen by how he captivated the audience; his tale of transformation is displayed effectively… Even at apparent short notice (and with spirits who laugh at their own jokes).

Our hosts were disappointed, having previously prayed on Schools downfall for the sake of a fair competition.

Finally, we have Alden’s thrilling performance of Doctor Who, whose stage value put the rest to shame. A serious piece that perfectly encompasses the Doctor Who aesthetic and atmosphere, completed by the Doctor's own Tardis, sci-fi weaponry, alien artifacts and a lifesize Dalek. The Doctor and his companion Jamie left the audience awestruck by their performance, and how they interacted as friends and then enemies when their attitudes diverged, compiling into a heartfelt story of loneliness and friendship.

Mr McKee sent his regards to the costume department.

The judges had their work cut out for them that's for sure, and the audience knew it. So, in the meantime, our very own sound and lighting manager, Elia, put on a show of magic to amaze and perplex. Each trick was a ‘blink and you'll miss it’ performance that defied all odds of probability and scratched the part of our brains still fascinated by magic.

Despite the audience's need for an encore, the judges were ready. At this point we were on the edge of our seats and I could no longer look away (even to make notes). As the judges took to the stage they gave their commendations to the room as deserved, but there could only be one winner: Dobbin's house had won Best Performance! Best Director went to School House (Alfie Parker & George Han) and Best Actor went to Allison's Evil Queen (Carter Flynn).

All donations went to Aware NI, huge thanks to all who attended and to Mr McClure for organising the event.

Thank you to Matthew McGonigle (Year 13, Yates's) for capturing the evening - view the photo gallery below.