Speech and Drama
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What sort of work do the children present?
This will vary according to section and to age.
Readings: When presenting a reading, the general guide is that the competitor should present something they like to read themselves. Therefore, for children, a good rule of thumb is the Premiers’ Reading Challenge list (http://www.education.vic.gov.au/prc/books/default.htm).
Some competitors will have dialogue (character voices) in their reading, others will not. Try to find a reading that something happens in – so the audience can listen and be interested – and preferably one which ends with some sort of conclusion – a dramatic moment or the end of a chapter are usually good ending points.
Poems: We want the competitors to have fun, to experience poetry as a form, and to learn something. Therefore, for younger children, simple, humourous poems are usually the best. They can include character voices and action, if that suits the poem. Some poets to look at as examples are Jack Prelutsky, Colin McNaughton, Ken Nesbitt, Annette Kosseris and Michael Rosen. For older competitors (under 14 and above) the poems need to increase in difficulty, but they can still be modern and fun to do. They might be longer or have a more difficult structure. Usually an anthology aimed at secondary school students will have numerous poems that are suitable for older competitors. If competitors choose their own poems, they will usually choose well.
2. Are there any ‘rules’ I need to know about?
There are a few ‘accepted practices’ which I have outlined here.
Poems and movement: in general, competitors should not move in poems. However, if they have characters in the poem, or if the poem is a character piece (e.g. the poem is written from a child’s point of view), then the competitor can move to create the character and atmosphere. Make sure movement is helpful to the viewer and not distracting – it should come naturally and look natural to the audience. When not moving in a poem the competitor should stand still with their arms hanging by their sides.
Readings: It is important if a section is called a ‘reading’ that the competitor looks like they are reading. Sometimes competitors – particularly younger children – memorise their readings, just by practising them so much. If this happens, practise the art of ‘looking like reading’ - hold the book comfortably in a way that does not obscure the face, and look up to involve the audience, especially at important points in the reading, or at the end of a paragraph. Use lots of expression in voice and face for characters, and read slowly so the audience can keep up.
Character sections: A character section is one where the competitor plays the part of one character. This is usually a monologue. There can be other imaginary people on stage, but the competitor only plays one character throughout. You can select the character from a play, a screen play, or a novel, or it can be a character poem. In some competitions competitors wear costumes for character recitals, however, at South Street competitors are requested to wear blacks for character sections. This is to eliminate costume as an adjudicating criterion.
3. Do time limits matter?
Yes. If competitors reach their time limit they will hear a bell rung. This gives them 15 seconds to finish off. After that a second bell is rung. The adjudication ceases at that point. It doesn’t matter if competitors have the bell rung, but it is important that they finish as soon as they can after that – this is just to keep the session moving and to make sure some competitors are not advantaged over others. Often the competitors ‘best part’ is at the end. It is okay to edit a piece in order to have it fit the time limit, so long as it still makes sense.
4. What is considered ‘good’?
A confident stance, a clear voice and clear speech, a sense of pleasure in performing, energy, good timing (not too quick, not too slow, and some variation in pace), use of pausation, and facial and vocal expression all support the competitor to engage the audience, and consequently, are desirable. Not many competitors manage to get everything right – it’s all about learning, and feeling good about that time on stage.
5. Does the day run to time?
Usually we run to time. However, there are things we can’t predict, such as several withdrawals in a section, which means we’ll run early, or the adjudicator taking a long time to make decisions, which means we’ll run late. Unless something quite unforeseen happens we will begin morning, evening and afternoon sessions at the advertised time.
6. How early do I need to be there?
Competitors need time to check in, hand in copies of their pieces and settle before performing. We cannot predict how many competitors will withdraw in any given section, so it’s advisable to plan to be there a section in advance. You can work this out roughly by calculating how many are in the preceding section (e.g. 12 competitors at 2 mins each = 24 minutes) and planning to arrive at the beginning of that section.
7. Do I pay to watch?
Competitors and teachers are admitted for free, but everyone else has to pay an entrance fee to watch. This covers hire of the venue and contributes to the adjudicator’s fee. Only the adjudicator is paid – everyone else you see at work on the day (in registration, time keeping, stage managing, front of house and chairing) is working as a volunteer. If you are coming into more than one session (that is morning, afternoon or evening), there may be a day ticket or some other form of ticket that works for you, so make sure you ask.
8. What if my child is very nervous?
You can suggest they take some deep breaths, jump up and down ten times, and do some vocal warm ups. Everyone gets nervous – it’s a natural reaction and it usually helps people perform well. If your child is very nervous, please let us know so we can be as supportive as possible.
9. Can my child sit with me?
Yes. Some competitors know each other from previous competitions or from school and they may choose to sit together. Some competitors like to sit with their teacher. But many competitors sit with their parents or other supporters. So long as your child can easily access the stage when they are called up to compete, they can sit wherever they like.
10. Is there anything I need to bring?
You should bring a copy of the competitor’s pieces. These copies go to the adjudicator. Copyright laws mean that photocopies must then be destroyed, so they will not be returned to you. If you give a book to the adjudicator as a copy, then of course this will be returned.
It’s also a good idea to bring some water, and perhaps some lollies in a plastic container (chocolate tends to glug up mouths, so avoid this). Otherwise, just bring yourselves – we look forward to meeting you!! |
