Mount Sackville is an arts rich school which provides a holistic approach to education. It recognizes the importance of developing and promoting creativity and the emotional intelligence of all students through the enriching music and drama provision in the school.
Junior Cycle
In Mount Sackville, every 1st, 2nd and 3rd year student will complete a half year module in drama as part of our wellbeing programme.
What skills will the students learn in drama class?
- Communication skills.
- Language development.
- Development of literacy.
- Critical/ active listening skills.
- Cooperative learning.
- The students will develop their expressive skills in drama.
- They will develop more confidence in their own ability.
- They will learn to use improvisation and role play effectively.
- They will develop thinking skills, cognitive ability, logical argument, reflective analysis and problem-solving skills.
- Drama fosters a sense of self-worth in the student which can improve self-esteem.
- Drama promotes a student-centred learning approach which enables the student to feel encouraged and more likely to communicate without inhibition.
Transition Year
As part of our Transition Year, students may opt to choose drama as a year-long module. In this module the students study, rehearse and perform a play of their choosing. This year, the class is studying Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose which we hope to enter into the Briery Gap All Ireland Drama Festival in February 2024.

Musical
During Transition Year students can audition to take part in the school musical, most recently we staged a wonderful production of Oklahoma! (2023) The school musical takes place every October. It is staged in the assembly hall with a team of event managers from Transition Year who promote the musical; sell tickets; work backstage; assist with lighting and sound effects and work front of house on the evenings of the performances. It is a collaborative experience for performers and crew; it is always a highlight of Transition Year.

The Mill Theatre Schools Shakespeare Festival
The Mill Theatre’s Schools Shakespeare Festival aims to bring Shakespeare to live audiences and to allow students to engage and perform Shakespearean drama in a meaningful manner. This is a competition which was launched in January 2019 for all second level students to perform a 30-minute version of a Shakespearean play and takes place in The Mill Theatre, Dundrum. Mount Sackville entered this competition with a cast of Transition Year students in 2019 with Jules on the Loose and in 2020 with Queen Lear. We are very proud to have been crowned Overall Winners of the competition two years in a row!

Irish Language Play
Mount Sackville has reached great success in recent years with performances of Irish language plays during Transition Year. Students have been entered in national competitions and have received many top awards for excellence in performance, namely at the Briery Gap All-Ireland Transition Year Drama Festival and An Cumann Scoil Dramaíochta. In 2018, Transition Year class won three national awards for their class production of Pádraigín is Ainm Dom at An Fhéile Naisiúnta, An Cumann Scoil Drámaíochta. Best Actress for Erin Dunne; Best Transition Year Play and Best Play Performed by a Non-Gaelscoil.

Drama has been an intrinsic part of the Mount Sackville education for many years and our wellbeing programme provides for one hour-long lesson of drama per week with an emphasis on expression, collaboration and enjoyment. Students are introduced to a wide range of dramatic skills, involving improvisation, melodrama, role-play, movement, vocal techniques and process drama. Students are not formally assessed but keep a drama journal and have an opportunity to partake in school productions. In past years we have produced very successful productions such as Taming of the Shrew (2024), Macbeth… Reimagined (2023), The Importance of Being Earnest, (2019) Queen Lear (2019) and DNA (2018) in recent years while the school musical during Transition Year is eagerly anticipated every year and most recently we have staged My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls and All Shook Up.