Belvedere College SJ
PER VIAS RECTAS
PER VIAS RECTAS
Belvedere has a strong reputation for drama. There is an ambitious and varied annual season of productions, giving scope to very large numbers of pupils to become involved in the theatrical life of the school. The flourishing drama scene in the college has inspired many pupils to make a career in the world of theatre and film as actors and directors.
Four productions are staged in a typical year. As well as acting in the productions, boys build and paint the sets, provide lighting, projections and sound, collect and manage props and play in the orchestra under the guidance of members of staff.
For most boys, their first appearance on the stage of the College O’Reilly theatre will be by performing in the Junior Musical. Boys in their first two years frequently play major roles in the junior show and occasionally in senior shows too. The Junior Musical is an annual production, staged at the end of October, and is cast exclusively from boys in their first two years. All boys are welcome to take part regardless of ability or experience. Recent productions have included “Elf”, “High School Musical” and “Pirates of Penzance.”
The Senior Musical is a large scale production staged in late November/early December and is open to students from third to sixth year. Auditions are held for main roles, but the show is open to all students regardless of ability or experience. Recent productions have included “Sweeney Todd,” “Little Shop of Horrors”, “Spamalot,” “Les Misérables” and “West Side Story.”
The Senior Play is staged in the month of March and is open to students in First to Third Year. Students take on directing roles under the mentorship of a staff member. Three one-act plays are performed on the O’Reilly stage. Students have the opportunity to have their own writing performed in a professional theatre.
This production is staged in the month of May and is open to all First Year students. It gives those with an interest in performing arts, the opportunity to take part in a second production in the year and allows those who did not take part in the Junior Musical, to make their first appearance on the College stage. Previous productions have included “The Wind in the Willows,” “Peter Pan,” and “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”
The ‘stage crew’ is an activity for boys interested in stage management, design and the technical aspects of theatre production. It is open to all boys throughout the school. The stage crew has responsibility for the design and building of the sets and the management of the stage during the various productions. Stage Crew work is creative, collaborative, and a fantastic experience for boys to get involved with.
The lighting crew design the lighting for all shows and rig and operate the theatre’s powerful technical systems. They gain a grounding in a whole range of design and craft skills, including the solving of complex computing and electronic problems; they begin to learn aspects of management; and they develop an understanding of the fundamentals of the technologies and creative practices of the media and entertainment worlds.
The sound crew work closely with the sound engineer and also have responsibility for sourcing and managing the sound effects for each production.
Students involved in the video realisation crew source, design and produce stage projections to complement the set design.
There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to design and paint the sets and props used in the college productions, and through their work, to learn about the artistic side of theatre. The artistic design crew is open to all boys in the college and they meet on Wednesday afternoons from 2.30pm to 4.00pm and on Saturday afternoons from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. This is an exciting and creative crew and students find it hugely satisfying to see how their work can transform the stage and bring an empty space to life.
Students who play an instrument may audition to play in the orchestra for the Senior Musical. This orchestra of approx 30 musicians, is made up of present students, past pupils and a small number of professional musicians.
The O’Reilly Theatre, our purpose-built, professional-standard performance venue, is fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, sound and stage technology, and has seating for over 400 people.
Seamus Fearon
Martina Leddy
Sarah Dunne
Drama
Belvedere College Drama
Belvedere is very proud of their Drama Department. There are four student productions a year. These include the Junior and Senior Musical as well as the First Year and Senior Play. The Belvedere Drama Department aims to be as inclusive as possible, encouraging large numbers of pupils to become involved in the theatrical life of the school. The flourishing drama scene in the college has inspired many pupils to make a career in the world of theatre and film as actors and directors.
As well as acting in the productions, students build and paint the sets, provide lighting, projections and sound, collect and manage props and play in the orchestra under the guidance of members of staff.
We are very grateful to the various cast members from local girl schools who give up their time and energy to be a part of these shows. Their contribution and talents are invaluable.
The Junior Musical
For most boys, their first appearance on the stage of the College O’Reilly theatre will be by performing in the Junior Musical. The Junior Musical is an annual production, staged at the end of October, and is cast exclusively from boys in their first two years. All boys are welcome to take part regardless of ability or experience. Recent productions have included “Oliver Jr”, “The Wizard of Oz” and “Beauty and the Beast Jr.”
The Senior Musical
The Senior Musical is a large scale production staged in late November and is open to students from third to sixth year. Auditions are held for main roles, but the show is open to all Belvedere students regardless of ability or experience. Recent productions have included “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Guys and Dolls”, “Grease,” and “Come From Away.”
The Senior Play
The Senior Play is staged in the month of March and is open to students from third to fifth year. Some recent productions have included “The Great Gatsby,” “Sherlock Holmes” “Bringing down the House” and “Hope Springs.”
The First Year Play
This production is staged in the month of May and is open to all First Year students. It gives those with an interest in performing arts, the opportunity to take part in a second production in the year and allows those who did not take part in the Junior Musical, to make their first appearance on the College stage. Previous productions have included “The Jungle Book,” “The Velveteen Rabbit,” and “Holes.”
Stage Crew
Stage crew is an activity for boys interested in stage management, design and the technical aspects of theatre production. It is open to all boys throughout the school. The stage crew has responsibility for the design and building of the sets and the management of the stage during the various productions. Stage Crew work is creative, collaborative, and a fantastic experience for boys to get involved with.
The Lighting, Sound and V.R. Crews
The lighting crew design the lighting for all shows and rig and operate the theatre’s powerful technical systems. They gain a grounding in a whole range of design and craft skills, including the solving of complex computing and electronic problems; they begin to learn aspects of management; and they develop an understanding of the fundamentals of the technologies and creative practices of the media and entertainment worlds.
The sound crew work closely with the sound engineer and also have responsibility for sourcing and managing the sound effects for each production.
Students involved in the video realisation crew source, design and produce stage projections to complement the set design.
The Artistic Design Crew
There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to design and paint the sets and props used in the college productions, and through their work, to learn about the artistic side of theatre. This is an exciting and creative crew and students find it hugely satisfying to see how their work can transform the stage and bring an empty space to life.
Orchestra
Students who play an instrument may audition to play in the orchestra for the Senior Musical. This orchestra is made up of present students, past pupils and a small number of professional musicians.
The O’Reilly Theatre
The O’Reilly Theatre, our purpose-built, professional-standard performance venue, is fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, sound and stage technology, and has seating for over 400 people.
The Drama Team for 2025/26
Design Co-ordinators
Seamus Fearon
Martina Leddy
Sarah Dunne
Lighting Co-ordinator
Denis Twomey
