The 2023 Chronicle

The cast of Urinetown in action

limitations of AI in writing creatively, but also learnt skills on how to bring to life the robotic interpretations of this highly influential resource. Although writing for House plays began in the second quarter, the plays were only performed in August. We had a small number of spectators, but the plays were received very well. McCormick took first place with their play. Created by Kian Moses, it provided very witty dialogue. The third quarter also saw the reignition of the Upstages Theatre Company. The Upstages is an amateur dramatic club that consists mostly of Michaelhouse staff and local community members. They have performed serious plays like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible , Chekov’s The Seagull and lighter pieces like an Agatha Christie-styled whodunnit that we called The Diamond Snow (still the most successful of our ventures). The 2023 production was a Roman/Greek comedy adaptation that we called Rise, Tiberius! Performed in the amphitheatre, great fun was had by the Michaelhouse boys who had an opportunity to view the show. The year is always drawn to an end by exam season, hosting the A, B and C Block exams, which offer wonderful opportunities for boys who have not had a chance on stage during the year to show off their skills and passion.

well to keep the audience entertained. Both received their hon ours for theatre after giving many valuable hours to theatrical performances over their years. Bradley de Klerk was sublime as the doomed protagonist Bobby Strong. Oldman Strong, Bobby’s father, had a short-lived cameo, played by the outra geously funny Onalerona Lefakane; that was one to remember. Isa Shabalala and Xabiso Mooi (Ngcime) also stood out in their roles as businessmen in the Urine Good Company, whilst Sent so Tlelai really came to life as a gangster and revolutionist. All the boys gave it their all, owning the content of the produc tion and the artistry, as their singing voices and dancing ability wowed a very surprised audience. Holding the musical in March was challenging for the rest of the theatre season. With boys’ time depleted and budget looking thin, the remainder of the productions were kept in- house. The second quarter saw the Interhouse Challenge Week take place, with theatre events including interhouse music and debating, as well as a well-received professional play by Makhubalo Ikaneng called Woza Mvoti . Interhouse music proved to be excellent once again. The third quarter opened with the interhouse plays. Using ChatGPT to configure scripts, boys were able to see the

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