Drama teacher and director Tony Kingston (here rehearsing with young actors for last year’s “Wolves Are Coming For You”) is the co-founder of the Festival of English-language School Theatre, which now celebrates its second edition. (Photo : Mike Zenari / archives)

Drama teacher and director Tony Kingston (here rehearsing with young actors for last year’s “Wolves Are Coming For You”) is the co-founder of the Festival of English-language School Theatre, which now celebrates its second edition. (Photo : Mike Zenari / archives)

The increasing prominence given to English-language education in Luxembourg has led to many schools offering students English theatre options or extra-curricular activities. This trend was noticed by drama teacher and theatre director Tony Kingston several years ago. But, as he told Delano when the festival launched, apart from some connection between. George’s International School and the International School of Luxembourg, “people were doing stuff in their little bubbles without really reaching out to other schools.”

So, Kingston, who has also helped promote young actors through many of the productions he has put on with his BGT theatre company, got together with Laure Schreiner of ALEA, the network of English-language school teachers, to draw up the idea of a festival celebrating the work done by those schools groups. The first edition of the Festival of English-language School Theatre took place at the Mierscher Kulturhaus in 2018 and proved to be a success, with 10 schools and over 100 students taking part. What Kingston calls a “pool of enthusiasm” emerged and has strengthened the loose network between the various drama groups.

Featuring 10 one-act plays as well as a series of workshops led by experienced theatre professionals, the festival not only gives secondary schools from all over Luxembourg the chance to perform in front of a paying audience, but also to learn about the craft and art of theatre and to meet fellow students. And teachers can also discover how other schools are benefiting from using theatre in their English-language programmes and may even share best practice ideas. 

The festival, which is supported by the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte, has the patronage of the British embassy in Luxembourg and ambassador John Marshall, who will host the opening evening reception.

This year’s programme is divided into four distinct time slots over the weekend, with tickets priced at €24 for each block of performances. They can be booked via Luxembourg Ticket here. The festival again takes place at the Mierscher Kulturhaus and the full programme is listed below.

Friday 6 March

19.00: "Twelfth Night", adapted from William Shakespeare. Lycée des Arts et Métiers

20.15:  "I Don’t Want To Talk About It" by Bradley Hayward. European School Kirchberg

Saturday 7 March

14.00: "Pink And Blub Part 1" devised by the school. Lënster Lycée Junglinster

15.15: "Where Loyalties Lie" devised piece. St George’s School

16.30:  "Almost Maine" by John Cariani.  International School Luxembourg

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19.00: "The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon" by Don Zoldis. International School Differdange and Esch          

20.15: "The Grown Up" by Jordan Harrison. St George’s School

21.30: "4 a.m." by Jonathan Dorf. Lycée Classique de Diekirch

Sunday 8 March

14.00: "The Unbelievably Amazing, Mesmerising Climate Change Circus" devised by the school. École Privée Fieldgen

15.15:  "Dance Story" by Frank Gibbons. Lycée Michel Rodange