On the 6th of February, the IGCSE Drama class of 2014 departed for Swaziland to the school Waterford Kamhlaba, a long-standing friend of Map. A group of 30 students and two Drama teachers took part in drama workshops based on the 2014 IGCSE set play text, The Madness of King George III.
We took a field trip to the Ngwenya glass factory to learn the intricate techniques of glass making. We also went to the Emsama, Swaziland’s largest museum, to expand our knowledge of how a kingdom works, as our play is based on the life of a king and Swaziland is ruled by a king. We found out that all monarchies are the same. The king is the leader, who appoints a Prime Minister, then the parliament – just like in The Madness of King George III.
We were a busy bunch, working from 9 am sharp all the way till 10pm! We dealt with this unyielding script of ours which is set in the Elizabethan time era. Workshops included watching the movie which is based on the set text and analyzing all the characters within it. After going more in depth with the play, we were all put into groups and had to perform different sections of it.
Waterford was a great host to us. We had an amazing time in Swaziland and enjoyed the breathtaking views and wonderful scenery. The drama class of 2014 would like to thank our drama teachers, Mr Ndlovu and Mr Paya, the teachers in MaP who made it easier for us to catch up on work we missed, teachers in Waterford and everyone else who made our journey possible.
– Lefika Otisitswe and Kutlo Senne