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Battle of the Bards 2024

Want to test your skills in treading the boards? Be bold. Be Brave. Be the Bard!

S4A is proud to announce ‘Battle of the Bards’. A dramatic performance competition that requires the performer/performers to be YOUR own director to bring alive some of the most significant theatre pieces ever written by the Bard himself, William Shakespeare.

This is about YOUR interpretation and how YOU believe the script should be performed. Battle out against OR with your buddies and show Hong Kong how much talent you have.

William Shakespeare is renowned as the greatest playwright and poet in the whole world. Not everyone has an opportunity to try and perform his work, but this competition allows anyone aged between 8 and 18 to try their luck. No costumes are worn, only basic black clothes with only a chair and a prop (if needed) are allowed on stage to bring the work alive. This is acting and storytelling at its’ mesmerizing best.

Finalists will have the opportunity to perform before a panel of professional judges from the field of performance and literature.  Your job is to see how you can connect with your audience through a monologue, duologue or group performance through vocal skills and physical and technical acting skills.

 

If you love performing and believe you have talent, this is your opportunity

to make yourself heard.

Look at the scripts below, to find the best script for you!

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The Shakespearean battle of the year is back!

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11th & 12th of May at Tai Kwun, Central

How to Apply

1. Select Your Category: Monologue / Duologue / Ensemble
2. a) Apply online by 24 Mar 2024 (Monologue)
    b) Apply online by 29 Mar 2024 for (Duologue/Ensemble)
3. a) Pay the Application Fee by 24 Mar 2024 (Monologue)

    b) Pay the Application Fee by 29 Mar 2024 (Duologue/Ensemble)
4. Receive a Limited Edition Contestant Pack
5. Choose your Audition Piece (Provided by S4A)
6. Submit the Audition Video in .MP4 or .MOV format to S4A by email         

    battleofthebards.s4a@gmail.com

    a) by 31st March 2024 (Monologue)
    b) by 5th April 2024 for (Duologue/Ensemble)

7. Announcement of Finalists 5th April 2024 (Monologue)
    Announcement of Finalists 8th April 2024 (Duologue/Ensemble)

8. Finalists will be Invited to Perform in the Finals on the 11th & 12th of May 2024

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Categories

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MONOLOGUE

Performers: 1

Time Limit: 5 mins

DUOLOGUE

Performers: 2

Time Limit: 5 to 10 mins

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Performers: 3 - 10

Time Limit: 8 - 10 mins

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ENSEMBLE

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Monologue Scripts

15 - 18 Years Old Participant

 King Lear
1 Character: KING LEAR (Act 3 Scene 2)

2 Character: EDGAR (Act 2 Scene 3)

Hamlet
3 Character: POLONIUS (Act 1 Scene 3)

 Much Ado About Nothing
4 Character: BEATRICE (Act 4 Scene 1)
5 Character: BENEDICK (Act 2 Scene 3)

Antony and Cleopatra
6 Character: CLEOPATRA (Act 5 Scene 2)

 Julius Caeser
7 Character: ANTONY (Act 3 Scene 2)

Macbeth

8 Character: LADY MACBETH (Act 5 Scene 1)

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW FOR

15-18 YEARS MONOLOGUES

8 - 10 Years Old Participant

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
1 Character: HELENA (Act 1 Scene 1)
2 Character: PUCK (Act 2 Scene 1)
3 Character: FLUTE (AS THISBE) (Act 5 Scene 1)
4 Character: HELENA (Act 3 Scene 2)
5 Character: HERMIA (Act 3 Scene 2)

King Lear
6 Character: CORDELIA (Act 1 Scene 1)
7 Character: GONERIL (Act 1 Scene 3)

Romeo and Juliet
8 Character: ROMEO (Act 2 Scene 2) 
9 Character: JULIET (Act 3 Scene 2)

 

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW FOR

8-10 YEARS MONOLOGUES

11 - 14 Years Old Participant

Twelfth Night
1 Character: ORSINO (Act 1 Scene 1)
2 Character: MALVOLIO (Act 5 Scene 1)
3 Character: VIOLA (Act 2 Scene 2)

Romeo and Juliet
4 Character: JULIET  (Act 2 Scene 2)
5 Character: NURSE (Act 1 Scene 3)

Hamlet
6 Character: HAMLET (Act 3 Scene 1)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
7 Character: PUCK  (Act 5 Scene 2)

 

As You Like It
8 Character: JAQUES  (Act 2 Scene 7)

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW FOR

11-14 YEARS MONOLOGUES

Duologue Scripts

8 - 10 Years Old Participant

1: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act 2 Scene 1)

Characters: HELENA and DEMETRIUS 

 

2: Hamlet (Act 1 Scene 5)

Characters: HAMLET and THE GHOST OF KING HAMLET 

 

3: Romeo & Juliet (Act 2, Scene 5)

 Characters: JULIET and NURSE

 

4: Twelfth Night  (Act 1, Scene 5)

Characters: OLIVIA and VIOLA

 

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW FOR

8-10 YEARS DUOOLOGUES

11 - 14 Years Old Participant

1: All's Well That Ends Well, (Act 1, Scene 3)

Characters: COUNTESS and HELENA

 

 2: Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 4)

Characters: HAMLET and QUEEN GERTRUDE

3: Comedy of Errors (Act 2, Scene 1)

Characters: ADRIANA and LUCIANA

4: As You Like It, (Act 3, Scene 2)

Characters: ORLANDO and ROSALIND

5: Taming of the Shrew (Act 2, Scene 1

Characters: PETRUCHIO and KATHARINA

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW FOR

11-14 YEARS DUOLOGUES

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15 - 18 Years Old Participant

1: Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 7)

Characters: MACBETH and LADY MACBETH 

2: Julius Caesar (Act 1 Scene 2)

Characters: CASSIUS and BRUTUS 

 

3: Romeo and Juliet (Act 2 Scene 2)

3 Characters: Romeo and Juliet 

 

4: As You Like It, (Act 3, Scene 2)

Characters: CELIA and ROSALIND

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW FOR

15-18 YEARS DUOLOGUES

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Ensemble Scripts

All age groups can choose from any of the scripts below

Script 1 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

(Act 5, Scene 1)

Characters: 

  • Quince 

  • Bottom - As Pyramus

  • Flute - As Thisbe

  • Snug - as a Lion

  • Starveling - As Moon

  • Snout - as the Wall

  • Theseus 

  • Hippolyta

  • Demetrius

Script 3

Hamlet,

(Act 5 Scene 2)

Characters: 

  • Hamlet

  • Horatio

  • A Lord

  • King Claudius

  • Queen Gertrude

  • Osric

  • Officers

  • Laertes

Script 2

Macbeth,

(Act 4, Scene 1)

Characters: 

  • First Witch

  • Second Witch

  • Third Witch

  • Hecate

  • Macbeth

  • First Apparition

  • Second Apparition

  • Third Apparition

  • Lennox

Script 4

A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

(Act 2, Scene 1)

Characters: 

  • Puck

  • Fairy

  • Titania

  • Oberon

  • Helena

  • Demetrius

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Rules

  • There are NO costumes allowed, ONLY theatre blacks

  • 1 prop and 1 chair limit for Monologues and Duologues

  • 3 props and 3 chairs limit for Ensemble performances

So get creative and start rehearsing.

To find out more, contact Shakespeare4All and apply now!

Prizes

To be announced

Check back soon for the latest updates

Please contact Shakespeare4All
if you have any questions
or need further support
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