Beacon Bard 2020

This week saw the eighth annual Beacon Bard of the Year competition go off with awesome (virtual) aplomb. Selecting the school’s top actor is ever the challenge with so many richly talented boys to choose from, and wasn’t helped by technical difficulties twice scuppering Tuesday night’s live broadcast… Well, we like to think this heightened the anticipation for Wednesday’s eventual screening!

At this time of unprecedented uncertainty for the theatre industry, it was thrilling to bring a little Shakespeare into everyone’s homes with finessed performances skilfully filmed by the competitors’ parents. In the Year 6 category, Arjan B, Maxi J and Aryan L dished up the first set of monologues with a generous helping of civil unrest and malevolent wizardry. A sumptuous feast followed from six outstanding Year 7s (Nick A, Rocco D, Piers S, Tommy T, Harry V & Sebastien W), who presented some of the Bard’s most towering figures, from Hamlet to Henry V. And rounding off the evening, five mighty Year 8s (Felix C, Hal H, Rory G, Nayan M & Dominic T) delivered anguish, gallantry and plotting in a hotly contested final category. It was Rory G’s dastardly Edmund whose ‘God stand up for bastards’ speech from ‘King Lear’ caught our adjudicator’s eye for the top prize.

Well done to all, and particular thanks to our LAMDA staff for working with the boys online over the last few weeks. We’re especially indebted to our wonderful adjudicator Steph Gunary (Director of Performing Arts at Berkhamsted School) for her expert feedback and supportive words.

Beacon Bard of the Year – Rory G

Year 8 Winner – Rory G

Year 8 Runner-Up – Dominic T

Year 7 Winner – Nick A

Year 7 Runner-Up – Tommy T

Year 6 Winner – Maxi J

Special Commendations – Piers S & Sebastien W

To watch all the performances from the final, please click here.