Year 12

On 31 May, our HSC English Advanced classes spent the afternoon exploring one of our prescribed texts, The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Accompanied by Miss Hilder and Mrs McGillcuddy, we travelled to the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta to see some of the play’s key scenes analysed and brought to life by a crew of talented professionals. With our various snacks from the snack bar, we watched in awe at the amazing performances alongside students from other schools in the Western Sydney area.

In addition to seeing the performances live on stage, director Damien Ryan delivered a detailed presentation for us that explained the powerful dramatic elements of the play, giving us great advice about the best ways to ace our English HSC exam for this text. This lecture and the performances allowed us all to get a deeper insight into the play that had lived on paper for us since the start of our Year 12 studies. This experience will definitely be one of the highlights of our Year 12 English experience and will greatly assist our HSC journey.

Emma G - Year 12 Student

Year 11

On Wednesday 22 June, I had the privilege of attending the Year 11 English Advanced excursion to Riverside Theatre to see the renowned Shakespearian play, Othello. It was a very exciting and new experience for a lot of the students in our class. During period one, Ms Hilder and Mrs McGillicuddy led us onto the College bus to make our way to Parramatta. The theatre was astonishing and we had the chance to take it all in, sit in the fresh air and eat recess prior to the performance. Waiting with us were students from other NSW schools, sharing the experience with us. We were also able to purchase popcorn, drinks and other snacks to gain a comfortable viewing experience. The theatre was filled with students and members of the public all keen to see the play unfold.

The play was engaging from the starting act, immersing us with lights, music, props and of course the characters. We became captivated by the world of Shakespeare and were able to make connections between the play and the key issues explored in class, such as racial prejudice, jealousy, love and manipulation. Seeing Othello in a theatre allowed us to engage with the play on a deeper level. The excursion would not have been possible without Mrs McGillicuddy, Ms Hilder and the event organisers at Riverside Theatre, so on behalf of our classes, thank you - we are all so grateful.

Stephanie F - Year 11 Student