Year 7 & 8 Drama

Year 7 and 8 Drama – Commedia dell’Arte Incursion 

Year 7 and 8 Drama students have been exploring the exciting world of Commedia dell’Arte, an Italian theatre style that dates back to the 16th century. This style has left a lasting impression on modern entertainment, with many popular television shows, movies and plays drawing inspiration from it. 

On May 13, our Year 7 and Year 8 students were treated to a delightful performance titled Venice in Love by Make a Scene, a renowned theatre education company based in Melbourne. The production was a fresh take on Commedia dell’Arte that kept true to its rich tradition, while also incorporating a uniquely Australian touch. 

The performance was filled with plenty of humour, energy, and audience interaction that kept everyone engaged throughout the show. The Make a Scene performers were highly skilled and talented, delivering a captivating and immersive experience for our students. 

Venice in Love was a perfect showcase of the versatility and timelessness of Commedia dell’Arte, and our Year 7 and 8 students were lucky to have this unique opportunity to witness it firsthand. Our students were very impressed by the show, and some of them have shared their thoughts on it: 

I found the Commedia dell'Arte performance of Venice in Love a truly hilarious and engaging show. With Pantalona and Arlecchino being my favourite characters, it was very interesting to see someone interpret their characters in a way that I haven't thought of. After watching the show, I feel that I now have a clear understanding of how to use Grammalot and Lazzi, especially in our CAT. My favourite part of the show was where Caroline went up on stage. It was hilarious to see how Il Dottore reacted in response to her actions and it was one of the parts where I had laughed the most. In conclusion, the Commedia dell'arte performence of Venice in Love has taught me so much about comedy and I'll be sure to incorporate this into my work. Thank you! – Olivia B 7A 

 

I really loved the show Venice in Love because the show gives you lots of opportunities to join in as well. This show was also extremely funny. My favourite part was when Arlecchino fell in love with Ms McLeod, I thought that it was a great idea to include teachers because that makes it a lot funnier. I also found the bit where Pantalona was with Il Dottore and he made her fall asleep and then test her flexibility. I thought it was so cool how they could make a great show with just two people. Overall, this was a great show and I enjoyed it a lot. – Laura L 7A 

 

I really enjoyed watching my first ever Commedia dell’Arte performance. One of my favourite parts was the massaging scene, I thought it was hilarious and I loved how much energy the characters had but with only two people! I thought it was amazing how fast the costume changing was and how they were very engaging with the audience. I loved how dramatic everything was, the slapstick, the costumes, how different each character's personality was, and how confident the actors were. This will definitely help me with my Drama CAT. – Lily T 7A 

 

During the play, I loved how fun and exciting the characters were, the costumes were amazing, and you could distinctly tell who was who because they each had different accents and personalities. I loved how interactive they were with the audience, and everyone was laughing all throughout the show. My favourite character had to be 'Pantalona' because she had a really cool costume. – Chloe B 8A 

 

I thought the show ‘Venice in Love’ was very interesting, and my favourite part was probably how they managed to make everything so funny. One thing I found funny was how they got us (the audience) to participate by telling us to do certain things, asking people to volunteer for odd things, and choosing people to randomly include throughout the performance. I also learnt that things like this make shows more fun and engaging for audiences. – Prisha S 8B 

Kelsey Holden 

Drama Teacher