Speech & Drama
CLASSES TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY 1st November 2025
Speech and Drama Secretary - Mrs C Lawrence
In Speech and Drama Classes competitors and teachers are reminded that own choice pieces should be appropriate to the age of entrants. Likewise, out of consideration to the younger members of the audience, material of an unsuitable or offensive nature will not be considered and candidates may be asked to withdraw. See General Regulation 3. (a-d). In case of doubt please contact the Speech and Drama Secretary.
Please note that, in a change to the practice of previous years, entry to all Speech & Drama classes is now determined by the competitor’s age on 31st October 2025.
A copy of the chosen piece must be given to the Adjudicator at the time of the performance.
CLASS 100 Verse Speaking, Non-competitive, Age 5 years Fee: £5.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Each performance will receive a certificate and adjudicator’s comments.
Time limit: 2 minutes
CLASS 101 Verse Speaking, 6-7 years Fee: £7.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 2 minutes
CLASS 102 Verse Speaking, 8-9 years Fee: £7.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 2 minutes
CLASS 103 Verse Speaking, 10-11 years Fee: £7.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 2 minutes
CLASS 108 Verse Speaking, 12-13 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 3 minutes
CLASS 111 Verse Speaking, 14-15 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 3 minutes
CLASS 112 Verse Speaking, 16 years & above Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 4 minutes
The winner giving the best performance of Classes 108, 111 & 112
will be awarded the Huw Lloyd Rowlands Trophy.
CLASS 121 Junior Verse Recital, 12-15 years Fee: £10.00
Competitors to introduce and present three poems, one of which must be a sonnet, on a theme of their own choice to show contrasting styles of verse. The time allowed includes brief words of introduction and/or links between the poems.
Time limit: 8 minutes
CLASS 122 Verse Recital, 16 years & above Fee: £12.00
Competitors to introduce and present three poems, one of which must be a sonnet, on a theme of their own choice to show contrasting styles of verse. The time allowed includes brief words of introduction and/or links between the poems.
Time limit: 10 minutes
CLASS 141 Shakespeare Solo, 15 years & above Fee: £8.00
Own Choice from any play
Time limit: 7 minutes
CLASS 145 Performance Poetry Open Fee: £12.00
Perform from memory a piece with physical gestures, emphases, and the intention to engage with the audience as a key feature.
CLASS 146. Write and Speak a Poem, Non-competitive Open Fee: £8.00
Competitors are to write a poem on a subject of their own choice which they will read aloud at the Festival.
CLASS 153 Prose Reading, 7 years & under Fee: £7.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 2 minutes
CLASS 154 Prose Reading, 8-9 years Fee: £7.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 2 minutes
CLASS 155 Prose Reading, 10-11 years Fee: £7.00
Own Choice – see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 2 minutes
CLASS 156 Prose Reading, 12-13 years Fee: £7.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 2 minutes
CLASS 158 Prose Reading, 14-15 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 3 minutes
CLASS 159 Prose Reading, 16 years & above Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
Time limit: 3 minutes
CLASSES 170 – 179. Competitors must send with the entry form a copy of their own choice piece for approval as it will be performed. Competitors will be informed if language thresholds are not
adhered to, and may be disqualified - please see General Regulation 3(a-d)
CLASS 170 Solo Drama, 10 years & under Fee: £7.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 3 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 171 Solo Drama, 11-12 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 172 Solo Drama, 13-14 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 173 Solo Drama, 15-16 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice – see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed – small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 174 Solo Drama, Open (17 years & above) Fee: £8.00
Own Choice – see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed – small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 175 Solo Comedy, 10 years & under Fee: £7.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 3 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 176 Solo Comedy, 11-12 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 177 Solo Comedy, 13-14 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 178 Solo Comedy, 15-16 years Fee: £8.00
Own Choice – see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed – small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 179 Solo Comedy, Open (17 years & above) Fee: £8.00
Own Choice – see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed – small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes (time to include introduction)
CLASS 180 Public Speaking, 15 years & under Fee: £8.00
A short speech about a figure in Theatre or Film or an autobiography of a well-known person.
Prompt cards and hand-held visual aids allowed
Time limit: 4 minutes
CLASS 181 Public Speaking, 16 years & above Fee: £8.00
A short speech on the life and works of any great figure in the arts, humanities or science.
Prompt cards and hand-held visual aids allowed
Time limit: 5 minutes
CLASSES 182-193. Competitors must send with the entry form a copy of their own choice piece for approval as it will be performed. Competitors will be informed if language thresholds are not ad-
hered to, and may be disqualified - please see General Regulation 3. (a-d)
CLASS 182 Duologues, 7 years & under Fee: £11.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 4 minutes
CLASS 183 Duologues, 8-10 years Fee: £11.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 5 minutes
CLASS 184 Duologues, 11-14 years Fee: £11.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 5 minutes
CLASS 185 Duologues, 15-18 years Fee: £11.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 6 minutes
CLASS 186 Duologues, Open (19 years and over) Fee: £11.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Time limit: 8 minutes
CLASS 187 Acted Scene, 7 years & under Fee: £25.00
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Not less than 3 characters
Time limit: 6 minutes
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
CLASS 188 Acted Scene, 8-10 years Fee: £25.00
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Not less than 3 characters
Time limit: 10 minutes
Own Choice – see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
CLASS 189 Acted Scene, 11-14 years Fee: £25.00
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Not less than 3 characters
Time limit: 10 minutes
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
CLASS 190 Acted Scene, 15-18 years Fee: £25.00
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Not less than 3 characters
Time limit: 10 minutes
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
CLASS 191 Acted Scene, Open (19 years & over) Fee: £25.00
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
Not less than 3 characters
Time limit: 10 minutes
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
CLASS 192 A Duologue from a Musical, Open) which may include
the first verse (only) of the song that follows the dialogue Fee: £11.00
Own Choice - see General Regulation 2. (a-f)
No costumes allowed - small hand props only
If you include a song, you must provide your own accompaniment.
GROUP CREATIVE PERFORMANCE CLASSES
NB: whilst it is unrealistic to request an advance script for Classes 194-198, the adjudicator will stop and disqualify any performance that infringes the language thresholds as stated in General Regulation 3. (a-d). Groups may include music and/or sound effects, but must provide and operate their own sound equipment. The Title of the piece must be announced at the beginning, and all members of the group must speak some dialogue.
CLASS 194 Creative Performance, 6 years & under Fee: £25.00
Groups to devise a piece of work on a theme of their own choice.
The piece must include one of the following dramatic conventions: narration, monologue, tableaux.
Time limit for groups of 10 or fewer: 10 minutes
Time limit for groups of 11 or more: 15 minutes
CLASS 195 Creative Performance, 7-10 years Fee: £25.00
Groups to devise a piece of work on a theme of their own choice based on a piece of music.
The piece must include two of the following dramatic conventions: prologue and/or epilogue, tableaux, narration, monologue, chorus.
Time limit for groups of 10 or fewer: 10 minutes
Time limit for groups of 11 or more: 15 minutes
CLASS 196 Creative Performance, 11-14 years Fee: £25.00
Groups to devise a piece of work on a theme derived from a topical issue or newspaper article.
The piece must include three of the following dramatic conventions: chorus, epilogue, monologue, narration, prologue, tableaux, physical theatre.
Time limit for groups of 10 or fewer: 10 minutes
Time limit for groups of 11 or more: 15 minutes
CLASS 197 Creative Performance, 15-17 years Fee: £25.00
Groups to devise a piece of work on a theme derived from a topical issue or newspaper article.
The piece must include four of the following dramatic conventions: chorus, epilogue, monologue, narration, prologue, tableaux, physical theatre.
Time limit for groups of 10 or fewer: 10 minutes
Time limit for groups of 11 or more: 15 minutes
CLASS 198 Creative Performance, Open (18 years & over) Fee: £25.00
Groups to devise a piece of work on a theme derived from a topical issue or newspaper article.
The piece must include six of the following dramatic conventions: chorus, epilogue, monologue, narration, prologue, tableaux, physical theatre.
Time limit for groups of 10 or fewer:: 10 minutes
Time limit for groups of 11 or more: 15 minutes