Teenager's Speech and Drama Classes

Rathmines, Dun Laoghaire and Taney, Dundrum.

Teenage Speech, Drama and Acting Classes

Our class for teenagers is three hours long, roughly split into three individual hours as below:

1 hour – voice, communication, team building and improvisation – this section of the class focuses on building clear, confident, creative communication.
1 hour – group acting, devising, and movement – this section of the class contains all of the group performance work including scripted and student-devised material.
1 hour – solo performance work – during this part of the class students work on solo performance work and scene partner work e.g. duologues, monologues, poetry performance, reading aloud.

During our Autumn Term students prepare for a large scale production taking place in a professional theatre. During our Winter and Spring terms students work on a range of solo and group material for presentation in showcases, competitions and for either Speech and Drama, Acting or Performing Arts exams delivered at the end of the school year by Trinity College London.

Additional Opportunities in Key School Years

Junior Cert Speech and Drama Class: Courses for Shakespeare plays, and poetry performance and analysis. Take part in Speech and Drama exams based entirely on Junior Cert English material to gain UCAS points. Communication and public speaking courses to work on CBAs.

Transition Year Performing Arts Programme: In this intensive course, choose from a range of classes in acting for stage, acting to camera, theatre studies, film-making, costume design, set design, lighting and props, mime and movement, physical theatre, musical theatre – singing and dancing, and more. Gain a lot of performance experience while building up your performance CV and going on auditions. We will assist you in finding work experience with professional theatre companies. Opportunity to gain an Associate’s Diploma in Performing Arts from Trinity College London at the end of the year.

Gaisce: Why not take up Acting as part of the Bronze president’s award? Or try out one of our extra classes.

Leaving Cert Speech and Drama: Poetry performance courses designed to teach the skills to analyse any poem from a performer’s perspective – learn all about rhythm, meter, rhyme, sound effects, structure, and style. Specialised workshops for individual poets, comparative study films, plays, and prose, as well as Shakespeare. Take part in Speech and Drama exams based entirely on Leaving Cert English material to gain UCAS points.

Diploma Options: Many of our students complete associate level diploma exams (EQF level 5, equivalent to Irish level 6) before they have completed secondary school. These can be in either Speech and Drama performance, Musical Theatre, Performing Arts, Communication Skills, or Teaching Drama and Communication.

Term Dates For 2023/2024

Term 1 builds base performance skills and leads up to a performance in a professional theatre.
- Begins: Monday September 25th. Ends: Saturday December 23rd. Duration: 12 weeks.
- Midterm Break: Saturday October 28th – Friday November 3rd inclusive.
- Performance Dates: December 16th/17th and Last week of class
Term 2 works on solo and group performance pieces in preparation for the SDTOI Feis and an Irish Culture showcase.
- Begins: Monday January 8th. Ends: Sunday March 24th. Duration: 10 weeks.
- Midterm Break: Monday February 12th-Sunday February 18th.
- Performance Dates: Last week of class + Sunday March 24th.
Term 3 works on solo and group performance pieces for the Feis Maitiu (or internal Feis) and Speech and Drama exams.
- Begins: Monday April 8th. Ends: Sunday June 2nd. Duration: 8 weeks.
- Midterm Break: no break.
- Performance Dates: Competitions May 13th-17th, exams and final showcase on last week of class.