1
00:00:00,300 --> 00:00:04,530
Welcome to this special episode of our Classics podcast.

2
00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:11,760
In 2021, the Faculty of Classics, in partnership with the archive of performances of Greek and Roman drama,

3
00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:21,870
invited young people aged 11 to 18 from across the UK to perform a piece of ancient drama or deliver a spoken word composition.

4
00:00:22,590 --> 00:00:26,309
A judging panel of academics and performing arts professionals.

5
00:00:26,310 --> 00:00:30,330
We're delighted to watch nearly 100 short films.

6
00:00:30,780 --> 00:00:33,810
The quality of performance was consistently high.

7
00:00:34,050 --> 00:00:39,690
It was a very difficult task indeed to whittle down the entries to our winners,

8
00:00:39,690 --> 00:00:45,360
and I'm delighted that in this podcast I will be talking to these winners.

9
00:00:46,110 --> 00:00:49,499
First up, I'd like to introduce Sydney.

10
00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:57,030
Man Sydney, can you tell me how old you are, what college or school you go to, and where in the country you're based?

11
00:00:57,030 --> 00:01:05,790
Please. Hi. So I'm 17, I'm from south east London and I'm currently taking A-levels at Hearts Academy in Greenwich.

12
00:01:06,540 --> 00:01:12,150
Sorry, Sydney. One more question. Can you tell me which category of the competition you entered and won?

13
00:01:13,310 --> 00:01:16,880
I entered in the spoken word element of the competition.

14
00:01:18,010 --> 00:01:23,530
Fantastic. Thank you. And if we move on now to Yankee China, can you tell us, Bianca?

15
00:01:23,770 --> 00:01:29,320
How old are you? Which school or college do you go to and where are you based?

16
00:01:30,130 --> 00:01:37,150
Hello, my name is Bianca Cannon. I'm 12 years old and I go to St Helens School in north west London.

17
00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:49,690
And I decided to enter this competition because I've always had a passion for acting and drama and I just really enjoy literature and Greek.

18
00:01:50,850 --> 00:01:55,770
Great. Thanks. And can you tell us which of the categories did you enter?

19
00:01:56,100 --> 00:01:59,819
So I entered solo translation. That's brilliant.

20
00:01:59,820 --> 00:02:06,750
Thank you. So if we come on to our final category now, can we move on to our group?

21
00:02:07,140 --> 00:02:11,490
Can you introduce yourselves, please, and tell us which school or college you go to?

22
00:02:11,710 --> 00:02:17,280
And where are you based? We go to a programme, a school for girls, and we're in the north west of England.

23
00:02:17,670 --> 00:02:22,379
The well, I'm. I hope I'm 15. I'm not Grayson.

24
00:02:22,380 --> 00:02:27,260
I'm 15. So you're a great of entrance fee.

25
00:02:27,270 --> 00:02:29,340
Tell us a little bit about your category.

26
00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:40,740
Well, we were given a piece of a course piece from Greek Theatre, and we had to perform it as a group like us, like a chorus.

27
00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:44,819
And we had to like act and do as a group.

28
00:02:44,820 --> 00:02:48,980
And like in some by ourselves, some simultaneously, like different lines.

29
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,150
We just had to put together like a little performance from that. Fantastic.

30
00:02:53,160 --> 00:03:01,800
Thank you so much. So I'm going to stick with the group here and ask you what made you want to enter this Asian drama competition?

31
00:03:02,550 --> 00:03:05,220
We did Ancient Greek theatre in year three.

32
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:11,639
I think we found it was very interesting learning about the different methods and like the overexaggeration of it.

33
00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:17,800
And then we had a competition through our teacher, Mr. Wasik, and we thought it might be interesting to become judge,

34
00:03:17,860 --> 00:03:22,530
I guess found it like really interesting with different ways to perform.

35
00:03:23,820 --> 00:03:28,440
So, so I think we did like the group one because we wanted to do it like with our friends,

36
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:33,219
you know, because we knew that we were all interested in it. So there were obviously like three different sections.

37
00:03:33,220 --> 00:03:36,840
So we chose the group in hopes that we'd be able to like do it together.

38
00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:42,540
It's really fun process as walk through it, like with friends and stuff they're interested in.

39
00:03:42,870 --> 00:03:46,830
Yeah. And it was good together and like it was just fun as well.

40
00:03:47,460 --> 00:03:53,310
This is great to hear. It's great to hear that you found that positive experience, both because you enjoyed drama,

41
00:03:53,310 --> 00:04:00,389
but also because you enjoy spending time together as friends. Sounds like this was a win win experience and you guys ended up as the winners.

42
00:04:00,390 --> 00:04:06,900
So you know, when, when, when. So Mr. Beswick is joining us on the podcast.

43
00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:12,540
So I wonder if we can maybe ask sir a question now how did you find out about the competition?

44
00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:21,299
I found out through the competition, through the Instagram ad, because we as the girls said, we do studying ancient Greek theatre in year eight.

45
00:04:21,300 --> 00:04:25,500
And in our A-level we looked at the play on ticketing AD.

46
00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:33,000
So I was really passionate about finding opportunities in which we could celebrate the history of theatre, the origins of theatre.

47
00:04:33,420 --> 00:04:42,479
And the girls are fascinated by the mythology, the source, recurrent characters as well as the plotlines.

48
00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:47,760
I think they really like the tragic plotlines and all the chaos that surrounds that as well.

49
00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:57,479
So it's really came to to really give them an opportunity and a platform to share that passion and to perform and work together to create a nice,

50
00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:58,500
creative piece of drama.

51
00:04:59,460 --> 00:05:10,650
So well done, sir, for finding out about the competition on Instagram and well done our group translation for submitting such a compelling short film.

52
00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:20,940
So I'd like to move back now to Bianca and to ask Bianca, why did you choose to submit your entry to this competition?

53
00:05:21,390 --> 00:05:30,020
So I chose to submit my entry because I really enjoy drama and literature and Greek.

54
00:05:30,090 --> 00:05:34,920
I just find it really interesting and I really also love monologues.

55
00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:39,540
I've done a few both and I really like performed them.

56
00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,780
Fantastic. Thank you. I'm going to Sydney. The same question.

57
00:05:42,930 --> 00:05:50,219
Sydney, what made you want to enter this forward university competition in a very ancient drama I've always had a liking for.

58
00:05:50,220 --> 00:05:56,970
Obviously, as everyone else has said, I'm for acting. I've never really had an opportunity to display this life outside of my school.

59
00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,460
So I've been very enclosed throughout my life.

60
00:05:59,820 --> 00:06:06,110
So I thought when I went and kind of I had this opportunity, so I take it and submit something to my taste.

61
00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:12,090
And when I was younger and I perform, I would always perform with another person onstage because I have a little bit of stage fright,

62
00:06:12,420 --> 00:06:19,350
which I think everyone else might agree with me. I'm it was a confidence boost for me to be able to produce something to a high standard

63
00:06:19,350 --> 00:06:24,030
of my liking and it coming out as a positive getting younger coming first place.

64
00:06:24,690 --> 00:06:31,200
Yeah, because you, you've done this solo spoken word category, so you were absolutely performing alone for that one.

65
00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:38,040
So it sounds like you've mastered that stage fright and have managed to perform alone to a really high standard.

66
00:06:38,050 --> 00:06:44,610
So well done. And I wonder if you can tell us a little bit, Sydney, about the piece that you perform.

67
00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:50,150
So I performed a poem called Icarus by Kate Tempest, and I'm sure.

68
00:06:50,290 --> 00:06:55,030
Viewers will know about the story of Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun.

69
00:06:55,510 --> 00:07:00,610
But when he fell. When I heard about this competition, I had absolutely no idea what to pick.

70
00:07:00,610 --> 00:07:04,750
So my best idea was go to my English teacher because they know everything and whatever.

71
00:07:05,140 --> 00:07:09,940
But for some reason, the first person that I ended up walking into was my science teacher,

72
00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,769
and I was like, Oh, Mr. Speaker, once you're like Icarus by K10 Pass.

73
00:07:14,770 --> 00:07:17,770
And I was like, I have never heard of them, but I'll look up.

74
00:07:18,100 --> 00:07:21,700
And I really fell in love with the poem, so I'm to be safe.

75
00:07:21,700 --> 00:07:24,850
I went to all the teachers to ask them about that poem, really stuck with me.

76
00:07:25,210 --> 00:07:33,130
So that really stuck with me when I performed it. So I felt like I was able to get passion behind it because it was so inspiring towards me.

77
00:07:34,250 --> 00:07:38,510
Fantastic. Thank you. And I'm going to ask Bianca the same question.

78
00:07:38,540 --> 00:07:43,400
Can you tell us a little bit about the performance that you chose?

79
00:07:44,030 --> 00:07:49,850
So I also went to my Latin teacher to ask him a bit about what I should do about the competition.

80
00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:56,240
And he he gave me a book about Greek poems, and I found the book really helpful.

81
00:07:56,540 --> 00:08:05,850
But my favourite poem that was there was a poem called The Grouch by Menander, who was a Greek pay writer for comedy.

82
00:08:06,230 --> 00:08:13,280
And I just found the poem. It was really interesting to perform, and I really enjoyed performing.

83
00:08:13,850 --> 00:08:18,890
Brilliant. And did you find it funny, Bianca? Yes, I found it really funny as well.

84
00:08:19,340 --> 00:08:22,760
Great. And I found maybe one night to beg for it.

85
00:08:23,180 --> 00:08:29,030
Can you tell me a little bit about the piece that you chose for your great performance?

86
00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:33,770
What was it? Which is the extract from Antigone.

87
00:08:33,860 --> 00:08:37,159
Got a strong female lead card. And so it was interesting.

88
00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:44,600
I think we looked at other stuff like with Medea, but we thought like the group chorus was taking him to his best.

89
00:08:44,870 --> 00:08:49,100
We found we the extract that we were looking at quite interesting, the thought of blackmail,

90
00:08:49,220 --> 00:08:53,450
like the group that we were sort of like the atmosphere we were trying to create and the group and everything.

91
00:08:54,020 --> 00:09:02,150
So for those people who may not have seen your wedding film, can you tell us which section of Antigone's you chose to perform?

92
00:09:03,210 --> 00:09:06,360
So they the girls looked at the troll up.

93
00:09:06,660 --> 00:09:17,819
They called out after the prologue. Sorry, where it's the chorus celebrating the end of the war in vapes and but also sort of recounting the tragedy

94
00:09:17,820 --> 00:09:25,110
that's happened at the loss of the two brothers and introducing Korea as the new leader of Thebes.

95
00:09:25,470 --> 00:09:31,380
And that's what the girls were trying to capture, that sort of preparing the ground of the rest of the play.

96
00:09:31,530 --> 00:09:34,650
And how did you prepare for the performance?

97
00:09:34,890 --> 00:09:39,150
Obviously, the competition is likely to run again next year.

98
00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,500
And so there might be some people who are looking for your top tips.

99
00:09:44,310 --> 00:09:51,870
So when we follow the abstract. But and then because it was just like a block of text, instead of giving outlines, lines,

100
00:09:51,870 --> 00:10:00,180
we sat down and we we read through it and then we decided where we would split up, like what we'd say, stuck together, and we'd have it separately.

101
00:10:00,690 --> 00:10:10,050
And then once we figured that out, we started, like, looking at it and like practising it, like the different when it's done and stuff like that.

102
00:10:10,410 --> 00:10:14,760
Yeah. So once we sort of like once we sort of say it out and knew what we were going to do,

103
00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,540
we started running through it and making it more fluid and like then we started

104
00:10:18,540 --> 00:10:22,919
like going away from our classes and like at home learning the tech so that

105
00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:31,220
we could obviously focus more on the fluidity and everything because we wouldn't have to like look at a sheet with both of our hands and all of that.

106
00:10:31,230 --> 00:10:37,080
So yeah, so it was just more sort of like step by step where we just got through it.

107
00:10:37,890 --> 00:10:45,570
So like we, we decided what to do, like physically depending on the line to make it so we could have more meaning.

108
00:10:46,950 --> 00:10:49,139
Yeah, that's something that you definitely really enjoyed.

109
00:10:49,140 --> 00:10:55,040
Was like critically analysing the text, deciding which bits you would do in unison and and to phone all.

110
00:10:55,050 --> 00:10:59,690
And it makes this canon work you really got to grips with. I thought that was really tremendous.

111
00:10:59,700 --> 00:11:08,880
What's your process? Yeah, it's like I mean, when we were then we'd have to like look at it and just go over and try it,

112
00:11:08,910 --> 00:11:12,360
cut things out or if we felt like we had to add more.

113
00:11:12,370 --> 00:11:15,959
And so we filmed it for like an outside perspective.

114
00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:22,430
So we put it somewhere in the room and like fill in the performance so that we could watch it back and be like, Right.

115
00:11:22,530 --> 00:11:28,620
Doesn't really look like we're going to change that. Yeah. Because it can be hard to analyse when you, when you're performing it.

116
00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,879
But I think when you can watch or read afterwards depends because well like towards the end of

117
00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:40,440
the process because I think everyone thank you so much for these rich insights to your process.

118
00:11:40,770 --> 00:11:47,489
I know that the judges are going to find this so interesting because obviously we only saw the final episodes,

119
00:11:47,490 --> 00:11:53,300
but actually nice hearing everything that went into making the final epic.

120
00:11:53,380 --> 00:11:57,990
The compelling film that it is is so interesting.

121
00:11:57,990 --> 00:12:11,010
And I know also that my future interests are going to be so appreciative of hearing how you the winners got to that gold standard performance.

122
00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:17,850
I've got one more question for you. What Top Tips do you have for learning lines?

123
00:12:18,990 --> 00:12:24,270
I think it's a thing that you will either like you either find really easy to struggle with.

124
00:12:24,270 --> 00:12:32,459
And if you struggle with them. You probably need more strategies in everything but me personally, I find it quite not easy,

125
00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:35,370
but they stick with me, especially if I feel so much towards them.

126
00:12:35,370 --> 00:12:40,349
So it's like I read over them and I get the gist of them, even if I still can't write it off by heart.

127
00:12:40,350 --> 00:12:45,660
And then I just sort of reread them and go through it, and then I say it and skip outlines that I don't know,

128
00:12:45,670 --> 00:12:49,110
look at those lines, what's that going back over it and all of that.

129
00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:55,950
So it just sort of like gets into your brain and then even I find once you've learnt it, don't let it go.

130
00:12:56,100 --> 00:13:02,100
So you learn it and then you just even in bed doing whatever you want it.

131
00:13:02,100 --> 00:13:07,350
Like whatever you do it, you just go over it in your head or out loud at any point you can.

132
00:13:07,950 --> 00:13:14,910
I think understanding the text is crucial because it's got to be more than just listening and you've got to understand what you're saying.

133
00:13:15,330 --> 00:13:22,620
So even if you don't remember every so what it says, if you remember like the plot, the thing we did was very short,

134
00:13:22,620 --> 00:13:27,450
but if we remember, like the basic ideas of it, we could just go over it again when we did the physical things.

135
00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:33,840
I find it easier to remember because we have like same actions that went with certain violence, but like that be kind of what's going on in my head.

136
00:13:35,430 --> 00:13:42,150
Fantastic. Okay. So I'm going to come on now to Sydney and ask you, Sydney, how did you prepare for your performance?

137
00:13:42,180 --> 00:13:46,790
What tips do you have to offer? Like the Greek was saying.

138
00:13:46,790 --> 00:13:49,790
I think not only lighting the lines obviously important,

139
00:13:49,790 --> 00:13:54,560
but lighting the emotion and the passion behind when you're speaking is also really important.

140
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:56,560
So obviously, I love the lines.

141
00:13:56,570 --> 00:14:04,230
That was the basic level of it, but I read it from a different point of view because I knew I wasn't reading it from the perspective of reference.

142
00:14:04,250 --> 00:14:09,319
I was reading it from a perspective of an onlooker. So I was wondering how would this person feel when he's reading it?

143
00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:12,350
Would he be happy? Would he be sad? Would he get frustrated?

144
00:14:12,740 --> 00:14:17,629
So when I performed it, I started off I'm quite neutral, quite neutral tone.

145
00:14:17,630 --> 00:14:19,820
Like I'm not going to write the words.

146
00:14:20,190 --> 00:14:28,220
But as the performance went on, he started getting frustrated because how could it be so vain and go up to the sun, like just stay in your lane?

147
00:14:28,970 --> 00:14:32,570
And then towards the end, it was almost as if he was grieving this character.

148
00:14:32,630 --> 00:14:37,850
Because you're grieving the loss of a person, because if you just listen to his father, he wouldn't have gone into this position.

149
00:14:38,210 --> 00:14:46,760
So I think lining the emotions was a really key aspect to me because unlike the great performance, I did have physical aspects behind it.

150
00:14:47,060 --> 00:14:53,690
So for me, the emotion and then setting the scene for me in the performance, that was a bright light shining into my face.

151
00:14:53,690 --> 00:14:57,170
And when I was performing, I envisioned it as the sun.

152
00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:02,810
So I was looking and I was in, I was getting stills from it and it was lighting me from the inside.

153
00:15:04,370 --> 00:15:08,180
That is absolutely fascinating. Sydney, thank you so much.

154
00:15:08,420 --> 00:15:12,229
And Bianca, what about you? How do you prepare for your performance?

155
00:15:12,230 --> 00:15:17,690
So you're in this sober translation category? What tips do you have for entrants next year?

156
00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:24,220
So I practise after school a lot as well with my older sister.

157
00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:34,089
And it was really comforting to have someone around you when you're practising this and giving you tips on how to improve,

158
00:15:34,090 --> 00:15:40,920
like your speech or your emotions, or like just how to make it sound a lot nicer.

159
00:15:42,470 --> 00:15:44,180
Okay. That's great. Thank you.

160
00:15:44,780 --> 00:15:55,220
So as you may or may not be aware at the moment, creative and performing arts aren't really prioritised in curriculum policy.

161
00:15:55,460 --> 00:16:04,580
So for example, they don't count on the ebacc. I wonder what you think each drama brings to the curriculum.

162
00:16:05,030 --> 00:16:13,240
I'm going to start with Mr. Beswick. I am passionate about job creation and we're really looking to go once a week

163
00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:19,849
at a key stage three and up to the GCSE and A-level drama brings creativity,

164
00:16:19,850 --> 00:16:28,430
innovation, critical thinking skills and that collaboration where the girls and pupils are working together for a design day,

165
00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:38,780
but also allowing them to develop their skills and empathy to be able to stand in someone else's shoes and look at different opinions and viewpoints,

166
00:16:39,230 --> 00:16:40,990
but also a historical aspect.

167
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:50,600
So exploring and examining the wide range of how theatre and jazz developed over the centuries and how the texts from age,

168
00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:55,100
like for example, by ancient Greek texts, are still relevant to today's modern society.

169
00:16:55,100 --> 00:16:58,190
And that's something that we find really rewarding in lessons,

170
00:16:58,190 --> 00:17:04,190
is having those rich discussions surrounding how things have changed or how things haven't changed.

171
00:17:04,190 --> 00:17:09,530
And what we love about ancient Greek theatre is, as I was saying before,

172
00:17:09,530 --> 00:17:14,479
as the powerful sorts of female role models that are prevalent within the texts,

173
00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:21,200
and yet the society in which they were performed to have obviously the polar opposite views to women and

174
00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:27,439
how the audience would perceive that it's a really exciting and enriching opportunity for discussions.

175
00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,860
And yeah, it brings real value to the girls and to their wellbeing.

176
00:17:31,730 --> 00:17:35,750
And what about Mr. Beswick students? Do you have anything to add on that?

177
00:17:36,550 --> 00:17:42,560
I think I think we've really enjoyed our drama lessons, like just being away from the desk and about using different,

178
00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:49,430
highly arranged and very helpful, like communicating and just like expressing ourselves properly.

179
00:17:49,430 --> 00:17:56,419
I think. I think that's really helped us. Yeah. In the step up from primary to secondary school, it's like very different.

180
00:17:56,420 --> 00:18:00,469
Like suddenly you get all these tests and you're really stressed and everything and I

181
00:18:00,470 --> 00:18:06,950
feel like drama gives you sort of like a break from it while still benefiting you.

182
00:18:06,950 --> 00:18:11,509
So you're not just relaxing but not getting anything done at all.

183
00:18:11,510 --> 00:18:16,309
So you're relaxing and having fun, but while also like benefiting from it.

184
00:18:16,310 --> 00:18:20,300
And I think that's really rewarding mentally. Yeah, it's like an outlook.

185
00:18:20,390 --> 00:18:24,680
It's getting out of like everything that you just like a lot of yoga lessons.

186
00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,219
It's just, it's not like nothing else we do in school. It's just it is special.

187
00:18:28,220 --> 00:18:35,240
I think it's it's really essential, especially for like seven, eight and nine where, you know, school is meant to be fun as well.

188
00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:41,690
I found I think I find that job opens with lots of confidence and like it leads you to like

189
00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:47,330
different things and different experiences that you might not experience anywhere else.

190
00:18:48,140 --> 00:18:53,010
And if I'm able to. Bianca, what would you say about the value of drama?

191
00:18:53,870 --> 00:19:00,109
I think that drama is really helpful and it's really important because a lot of people say

192
00:19:00,110 --> 00:19:04,910
that they find it really hard to act in front of others because they get stage fright.

193
00:19:05,390 --> 00:19:09,620
But if the more you practise and get over that stage fright,

194
00:19:10,070 --> 00:19:18,380
you understand it better and you can step outside your comfort zone and it's really useful skill to learn as well.

195
00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:27,169
Cydney, do you agree? I completely agree because I think being able to express yourself is so important and I don't

196
00:19:27,170 --> 00:19:32,870
understand how the curriculum would be without drama or any other creative arts aspect in the school.

197
00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:40,050
I think it's quite therapeutic also because if you struggle to outlet your emotions going to John McLaughlin,

198
00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:44,120
my drama teacher made me cry once, but it was a good thing. It was a good thing.

199
00:19:44,270 --> 00:19:51,139
Drama is so important and I think it creates like minded individuals who are able to go out in the world and express themselves and

200
00:19:51,140 --> 00:19:57,680
encourage other people who might not have done drama to be able to be free and just let themselves express themselves however they want.

201
00:19:57,950 --> 00:20:00,920
So, yeah, I completely agree. Brilliant.

202
00:20:00,940 --> 00:20:08,380
Well, I think we have got a ringing endorsement from the winners on the podcast for the value of drama on the curriculum.

203
00:20:08,410 --> 00:20:16,540
And I've got a question for you nine, which is a little bit more specific, and that is about ancient drama.

204
00:20:17,140 --> 00:20:24,310
So often as a classicist, when I tell people that I study the ancient world and when I tell people that I'm interested in ancient drama,

205
00:20:24,550 --> 00:20:27,760
they say, Oh, but that's irrelevant.

206
00:20:28,810 --> 00:20:34,450
That has no value for contemporary life in the 21st century.

207
00:20:35,140 --> 00:20:41,830
Thinking about your experience in this ancient drama competition at the University of Oxford.

208
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:50,440
What would you say to those people who think the ancient drama is irrelevant in today's world, but to start with, said.

209
00:20:51,860 --> 00:20:54,980
I think their opinions are a little bit irrelevant, to be honest.

210
00:20:56,690 --> 00:21:03,840
I think it's just as important as any other piece of history in our lifetime, because history shapes where we get to today.

211
00:21:03,860 --> 00:21:09,010
Wars, everything is really important. And I think ancient drama is just as important as it's created.

212
00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:13,280
And I think they need to check before they speak, to be honest.

213
00:21:14,590 --> 00:21:21,070
Excellent. Thank you, Sydney. And what about you, Bianca? What would you say to these people who say the Asian drama is irrelevant?

214
00:21:22,090 --> 00:21:29,340
So ancient drama is really interesting and it's got a lot of things where you can be curious about.

215
00:21:29,350 --> 00:21:33,280
They've got a lot of plays, they've got comedies and tragedies.

216
00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:38,560
I find them really interesting and it's just as important as other subjects.

217
00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:48,580
Okay, great. And if we move on to the great, what would you say to these people who say that ancient drama is irrelevant?

218
00:21:49,750 --> 00:21:53,889
I think that with ancient drama, especially with our text,

219
00:21:53,890 --> 00:22:02,140
but it shows like how women were perceived in society and that could be like compared to how women are perceived society today.

220
00:22:02,140 --> 00:22:07,990
And you can get the comparisons. Yeah, I think I think it's just like it's really prevalent.

221
00:22:07,990 --> 00:22:16,149
I think and I think especially if you look at modern drama now, it's hard to not look at ancient drama because that's where I started.

222
00:22:16,150 --> 00:22:19,540
You have the full understanding of if you don't look backwards roots.

223
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:27,130
So it's kind of like it's irrelevant, especially when I think there are really like similar themes and plots in modern dramas are ancient dramas.

224
00:22:27,410 --> 00:22:31,000
Yeah, it's like that, like ancient dramas, the based to modern drama.

225
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:38,200
And I think you can't properly understand the modern drama without the history behind it, which is why we love history, everybody,

226
00:22:38,230 --> 00:22:44,590
because we understand why things are where they are and how they've changed and why they've changed and all the background.

227
00:22:46,270 --> 00:22:47,770
I find it more interesting actually.

228
00:22:48,250 --> 00:22:56,860
I find ancient drama like more interested in their journeys, more like the themes of like the more and more interesting to me.

229
00:22:57,250 --> 00:23:03,390
And I think you can just you can tell a lot about the time period from the drama because you can you can look at the text of this,

230
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:08,170
how you and then you can also, like, look back and look at the context and it makes it really interesting.

231
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:21,250
So if we think about those people who might be unsure about whether to submit an entry for upcoming ancient drama competitions,

232
00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:26,020
they could invest time in submitting to the.

233
00:23:26,140 --> 00:23:29,200
So the translation, the spoken word is a good translation.

234
00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:33,820
Or they could spend that time doing something else. What would you say to them?

235
00:23:34,120 --> 00:23:41,139
Let's start with Eco Grace and Isla. Well, I think my answer to that would just be like, just go for it.

236
00:23:41,140 --> 00:23:46,690
Like just sort of do it because you're no worse off if you do do that and you don't get anything out of it,

237
00:23:46,690 --> 00:23:51,370
you know, I mean, you still get that experience, especially for me, it was like it was with my friends.

238
00:23:51,370 --> 00:23:57,519
I really enjoyed getting to this point and I really enjoyed working with them like on the rehearsals we had.

239
00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:00,790
So I think like I've benefited from the experience.

240
00:24:00,790 --> 00:24:06,549
So it's a bit like if I hadn't won anything I wouldn't have, I would have lost anything and I probably would have gained the experience.

241
00:24:06,550 --> 00:24:09,820
So it would have been worth it either way.

242
00:24:10,660 --> 00:24:11,830
Yeah, I think I mean,

243
00:24:12,820 --> 00:24:20,440
you should just give it a go because it's open to like I think since I've been are more interested in ancient drama than I was if I hadn't done it.

244
00:24:21,310 --> 00:24:29,290
And I think there are misconceptions, especially if you like, you know, like ancient Greek, it sounds like, you know, it's old, it's it's boring.

245
00:24:29,350 --> 00:24:36,250
It's just it wasn't and it was really accessible for us as well, like just approaching it, like we would normally with a different text and,

246
00:24:36,670 --> 00:24:42,370
and we, we just like we still spend time together and it was just a really fun experience.

247
00:24:42,370 --> 00:24:44,800
And like Greece and even if we hadn't won anything,

248
00:24:45,490 --> 00:24:53,730
we wouldn't have missed out on your friend that even if like in China wasn't like someone's like in terms of like the things that

249
00:24:53,740 --> 00:25:02,310
like from there in a carnival to bring it to with more drama lessons and just general generally it's been learnt a lot and gave up.

250
00:25:02,860 --> 00:25:05,590
Can I ask Mr. Beswick the same question?

251
00:25:06,060 --> 00:25:13,270
What would you say to those teachers who may be on the fence about whether or not to share this competition with their students,

252
00:25:13,270 --> 00:25:16,540
get them in at lunchtime? And this is what these girls did.

253
00:25:16,540 --> 00:25:24,129
They they did as an extracurricular sort of opportunity and they just completely sold or that I had little minimal input really,

254
00:25:24,130 --> 00:25:27,550
because the futures took total ownership. They were passionate.

255
00:25:27,550 --> 00:25:37,360
They would drive in it and it was just so rewarding for me as a teacher to see that passion grow and develop and then to be really successful as well.

256
00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:41,950
It was just no great asset to the school and to the sales and especially to the department.

257
00:25:42,430 --> 00:25:44,259
Brilliant. Thank you so much. Okay.

258
00:25:44,260 --> 00:25:52,780
So if we go to Sydney now, Sydney, what would you say to best potential entrant who's thinking maybe I'll enter, maybe I would.

259
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:55,730
I say, what's the worst that can happen?

260
00:25:55,750 --> 00:26:02,379
Because if you want to put yourself out there, put yourself out there, find the website, click on the entries, see the requirements,

261
00:26:02,380 --> 00:26:06,250
and then seise the moment and do it because you don't even have to be a drama

262
00:26:06,250 --> 00:26:09,850
student if you have a liking for reading or if you have a liking for literature,

263
00:26:09,850 --> 00:26:13,210
which is actually the same thing. Now, I think about it, just go for it.

264
00:26:13,300 --> 00:26:15,850
Because if you don't read like they were saying,

265
00:26:15,850 --> 00:26:22,629
just it's such a good feeling of putting yourself out there and take the opportunity and thrill of it is absolutely amazing.

266
00:26:22,630 --> 00:26:26,860
So I say just take the opportunity. Fantastic.

267
00:26:26,860 --> 00:26:29,320
Thank you. And Bianca, the last word was to you.

268
00:26:29,770 --> 00:26:36,910
So I'd say it's all about the experience and it doesn't really matter what comes in the end result, whether you get it or not.

269
00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:43,780
I feel like the main thing is that you tried your best and you had a lot of fun doing it.

270
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:53,410
You learnt the lines, you learnt about all of the plays and ancient drama, and I think it's a really good experience for people to try.

271
00:26:54,190 --> 00:26:58,630
Excellent. Okay, well, well done, everybody. Again, we're super proud of you.

272
00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:02,680
The guys were definitely the the winners of your categories.

273
00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:08,200
So you should feel very proud of yourselves. And we are so delighted that you were able to take part in this podcast.