Performing Arts

Performing Arts Showcase 

On Tuesday, 10 September the St Pat's performing arts community gathered in the Performing Arts Centre Auditorium to celebrate all the wonderful achievements of students in co-curricular drama, music and speech in 2024. 

Ably led by captains Jack Williamson, Ted Turnbull-Gent and Josh Retallick, the event featured sets of awards across each of the performing arts as well as a video recap of the wonderful School of Rock, a sneak peak at ‘Hakuna Matata’ from the upcoming The Lion King Jr, Tim Snibson and the stage band smashing ‘Out of the Doghouse’ by Erik Morales, and a rousing rendition of ‘Can you Feel the Love tonight’ to end. 

Congratulations to all who contributed to a co-curricular program in 2024, and especially to those who were recognised through an award. We are very proud of all your efforts this year and look forward to more successes in the future! 

2025 College Production Announced: NEWSIES 

An exciting announcement was made at the end of this event, the whole school production in 2025 will be... NEWSIES! 

Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged "newsies," who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies newsies from across the city to strike for what’s right.  

Newsies is inspired by the real-life "Newsboy Strike of 1899," when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway newsies on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst and other powerful newspaper publishers. Timely and fresh, the fictionalized adaptation of Newsies addresses age-old themes of social injustice, exploitative labour practices and David-versus-Goliath struggles as the young learn to harness their power against a corrupt establishment.  

We can’t wait to get stuck into yet another wonderful production and a chance for all of you to shine! 

Year 12 Theatre Studies Monologue Performance Evening

In October our four Year 12 Theatre Studies students will present their monologue interpretation for a panel of VCAA assessors which accounts for 25 per cent of their final mark. In order to prepare them for this task, and to share their work with the community, we invite you to come along to a performance evening that serves as a mock exam for the students and gives them valuable feedback ahead of the Term 3 holidays. This event will take place on Monday, 16 September at 7pm in the Ensemble Room of our new Performing Arts Centre. No need to book, this is a free event and we hope to see you there! 

Purton Oratory Competition 

Congratulations to the 30 students who competed in last week’s 83rd Purton Oratory Competition! This esteemed event celebrates the important skill of debating and public speaking and the breadth of talent in our SPC orators was evident.  

A huge thank you to Mr Shane Murphy, Dr Nicholas Moll, Mrs Trudi O’Callaghan and Ms Jacinta Reidy who coordinated and adjudicated the event.  

The results were as follows: 

Year 7-9 Events:  

The Ms Mary Purcell Debate Winners: “Laptops have destroyed learning in classrooms” 

Negative Team - Riley Hayes, Patrick Snowden & Xxavier Ballinger (best speaker) 

The Major Brian Broadribb Impromptu Speaking:  

George Rogers  

The Br Breach Oratory Prepared Speech:  

Brody Gregg - “Why people fear public speaking over death” 

Year 10-12 Events: 

The W.T Doyle Debate Winners: “It would benefit all of Australia to have this nation’s freedom of speech laws match those of the United States.” 

Negative Team - Nicholas Willis Pitt, Alex Griffith (best speaker) & Gabriel Galias. Archer Mohr named equal best speaker from the opposing team.  

The Sir Hugh Devine Impromptu Speaking:  

Will Leonard  

The Br D.G Purton Prepared Speech:  

Noah Quick