The pupils are rehearsing hard getting ready for their big performance.
A group of South Ayrshire Council pupils will have the opportunity to showcase their acting talents to the world next month when they take part in a national theatre project.
The 25 S2 pupils from Queen Margaret Academy in Ayr were selected from thousands of entries to take part in the National Theatre of Scotland Five Minute Theatre project.
The National Theatre of Scotland are offering an amazing opportunity for eight Five Minute Theatre projects to be performed and filmed at the STV studios at Pacific Quay, Glasgow, with a multi-camera crew and television director. The National Theatre of Scotland's Five Minute Theatre project will feature over 1,000 performers in eleven countries. Of the 235 successful entries, 202 will be performed in Scotland, thirteen across the rest of the UK, four in Europe and sixteen across the rest of the world.
Queen Margaret Academy submitted two ideas and was selected from thousands of entries to have their pieces filmed.
For 24 hours starting at 5pm on 21 June 2011 there will be 235 five minute theatre pieces shown in a live online broadcast. Most of the performances will be from Scotland with some from other parts of the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. The 24 hour event will be streamed live on line by STV.
The pupils will actually perform two live five minute plays on Wednesday 22 June at 10.15 and 10.50 am at the Auld Kirk in Ayr. The performances will be recorded and available to view by logging on http://fiveminutetheatre.com/
Queen Margaret Academy pupils will perform 'Tam O'Shanter', a dramatisation of the poem and 'A Grave Drama', an abridged version of the school drama clubs Halloween performance that took place in October 2010.
Councillor Hywel Davies, Lifelong Learning Portfolio Holder for South Ayrshire Council said: "This is an outstanding achievement to have been selected by the National Theatre of Scotland to perform two pieces of work the school and South Ayrshire should be very proud.
"It is important pupils have experience of the arts, through drama clubs and other cultural activities. These pupils have taken their drama to another level and I wish them luck during their performances. Who knows one of these pupils could be an international stage or screen star of the future."
Tina Harper, Drama Probationer Teacher at Queen Margaret Academy said: "This is very exciting for the pupils, to have been selected to perform two pieces is wonderful. It will be a great learning curve for the pupils, seeing how productions are filmed and something that they will always remember."
The pupils are working hard rehearsing, here is what some of them said:
- Alice Shanks: "I'm kind of nervous, but I'm also excited as I've a big interest in the movies and acting."
- Beth Anderson: "I'm very excited to be doing this performance and I can't wait. I love drama!"
- Sarah Hainey: "I'm really excited about doing this performance with Miss Harper and my class. We're all working really hard within our drama classes and hopefully our performance will show this."
- Paige Connolly: "I'm really looking forward to it and I think it will be loads of fun, just like our drama lessons!"
- Daniella Shepherd: "I think it's great fun and am looking forward to the performance."
- Carla McGough: "It's been a great laugh and a really fun experience so far. I'm really looking forward to the performance as well."
- Alisdair McCrae: "I am pretty nervous about the Big Tam performance, I hope we can do Burns justice!"
- Alexander McDaid: "Drama is great at school. I am so excited about this project with the National Theatre of Scotland."
- Abbie Hamilton: "I love working on Tam through drama. Drama is a great way to express yourself through Rabbie Burns, work."