St Peter's College Drama: The Intern by Ntando Mabuya

The Intern: written by Ntando Mabuya

 

The story is of a young intern, Emily, who joins an office in which her colleagues work the same robotic day over and over without ever having met the boss; this symbolizes how people blindly follow a religion. Emily questions her workplace’s reality and the boss’ very existence. Despite the disagreement she had with her colleagues, she embarks on a journey in which she meets the Sangomas’ who direct her to the boss, who turns out to be a woman.

In a breath-taking reference to Adam and Eve, Emily takes a bite out of the apple that she was told not to eat, and is then banished from the boss’ office. Before she leaves, the boss explains to Emily that whenever she replies to individuals, those replies always end up in the Junk mail thus no one acknowledges them. The play ends with Emily giving her co-workers each a message that fulfils their greatest desires thus solidifying the message of faith.

This year St Peter’s College had the honour of entering this grippingly relatable and intelligently written play, created by Ntando Mabuya, into the Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts (FEDA) which is a one-act play festival in which students create, direct and perform their pieces. It is a platform where young thespians are able to express their concerns and imaginative views on societal issues through the use of acting all while learning crucial theatre skills, gaining dramatic experience and most importantly having fun. Every night for two weeks four schools showcase their pieces and receive feedback but they are not told who will be proceeding to the next round until all the schools have performed throughout the weeks. On May 23 2019, FEDA announced the top five plays that will perform again on May 25, 2019, and it is with great pleasure that I announce that St Peter’s College is listed as the ‘Best of the Fest 2019.’

The Intern took home two awards, namely Best Comedy and Best Original Script

Ntando received all-round praise from both of the adjudicators for her enticing plot. Her piece was called an ‘Orchestra of precision’ as her storyline answered the questions that went unanswered on the topic of religion. The adjudicators ended off by saying ‘many people have never articulated religion so well, it was extraordinary’

And it truly was magnificent to watch our St Peter’s drama performers give an outstanding performance that left us, as the audience on our feet and applauding the talented actors. Performances such as this one indicate how diverse drama at St Peter’s College is.

A special congratulatory go to the Backstage crew, Sound and Lighting and Mrs Crystal Miles who all managed to ensure that the piece went without a hitch.

The Intern is truly an exceptional masterpiece.