11 of our boys won two awards at the Hispanic Theatre Competition at North London Collegiate School. They performed completely in Spanish in front a panel of expert judges, winning Best Play and Best Spoken Spanish for Noah K in B Block (Year 13).
Since rehearsals began at the start of the Half (term), our boys have learned more about Hispanic culture, improved their pronunciation, and grown in confidence. Tilewa A (B Block) tells us more about his experience of acting in another language.
How did you get involved in the play?
I had heard from boys in older years how much fun they had performing the play, so when I received the email from my Spanish teacher about signing up, I was really keen to join and excited for the journey ahead.
I hadn’t acted since Year 8, and this was my first time playing a girl, so it was an interesting experience that took me out of my comfort zone. Acting in Spanish was fun too. You almost feel like you have a different personality when you’re performing in another language.
What were the rehearsals like?
While rehearsing in a classroom, it was hard to understand why our teachers kept shouting “¡más alto!”(louder) when our voices were already filling the room, but it proved invaluable on the day in the large venue. The whole process was incredibly fun. Even when people kept forgetting their lines two days away from the performance, it was always hilarious.
Rehearsals really improved my intonation and projection, both of which were crucial to a good performance. I also learned a lot of new vocabulary and more practical, spoken Spanish, which I’ve already started using in my speaking and essays.
How did it feel to win Best Play?
There were a lot of great plays on show and I hoped we would win some sort of award, but certainly didn’t expect to win Best Play. That made it all the more exciting when they read out our name. I felt very happy and proud that our hard work had been rewarded.
A big thank you to Ms Fortes Ortega, Ms Capella Malo and Ms Porcel Martín for organising the play, writing the script and making the whole experience so unforgettable.
