The Cast of the English Drama Society of Royal College took to stage yet again at the 43rd All Island Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition, organized by the Colombo Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and the Rotary Club of Colombo North, with their rendition of ‘Julius Caesar’. The excerpt consisted of Act II – Scenes 2, 3 and 4 and Act III – Scene 1. Undertaking the production of one of Shakespeare’s greatest and most powerful tragedies was nothing short of a challenge for a cast which had just showcased a action-packed comedy to the general populace. The cast which included 36 students from the age of 14 upwards under the guidance of the eminent Thushara Hettihamu took on this challenge successfully with less than a month’s preparation time which was made evident by the end result. The competition was last won by Royal College in the year 2013, with an excerpt from ‘The Tempest’.

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar was selected by the College Cast out of the list published by the YMCA which included a number of renowned plays including Romeo & Juliette, King Lear, and The Tempest. Royal’s excerpt which was produced under the theme: ‘Omens & Portents’ tells the story of how Julius Caesar’s false sense of security fuelled by the flattering words of conspiring senators overpower the many warnings heeded by those loyal to him and lead to his demise.

The semi-final round took place at the Lionel Wendt on the 21st of September. At the semis, Royal College was selected to the finals after a lapse of three years along with St. Joseph’s College, Wesley College and St. Peter’s College. Hidaayath Hazeer, who portrayed the character Mark Anthony, received nomination for Best Actor. For the probably the first time in the competition’s history, all four schools selected presented excerpts from the same play, ‘The Tragedy of Julius Caesar’, making the final round all the more challenging.

After ten days of rigorous training the College Cast took part in the Finals which took place on the 1st of October at the Bishop’s College Auditorium. The play was highly commended by the judges, which included Chris White, an Associate Practitioner and director at the Royal Shakespeare Company, especially for its exceptional display of teamwork. The play unfortunately failed to secure the top spot and emerged runners-up. However, this achievement showcased the versatility of the Royal College Cast and brought to an end what can be described as a golden year for English Drama at Royal College.

The cast received an immense amount of support from a number of old boys, notably Anisha Yasarathne (Director – 2008), Aneeq Hashim (Best Actor – 2013), and Rashmin de Silva (Cast Leader – 2013).

Royal College Shakespeare Cast 2016

Imaadh Dole (Cast Leader), Aaqil Yousuf, Abdul Malik, Abhishek Herath, Arjun Ratwatte, Asel Karunasingha, Chavika Samaraweera, Dinuka de Zoysa, Dulana Weligepolage, Haathim Munas, Hasanga Liyanagunawadena, Hashimi Ismail, Hidaayath Hazeer, Kalinda Abeyanayake, Kaviru Methnuka, Madara Thalduwa, Mayaan Haputantri, Michael Wijayawardhana, Mihindu Samarasinghee, Mohanjith Divigalpitiya, Movin Panapitiya, Naveed Hashim, Nipun Kannangara, Nipun Wijesinghe, Pavidhara Nanayakkara, Pravin Jayasundere, Rajinda Gunasekara, Rivi Wijesekera, Ruchith Ranasinghe, Rusira Peiris, Shavinda Herath, Shezan Feroze, Suran Weerasekera, Vinsara Jayalath, Vinukh Kalansuriya, Yashanka de Zoysa.