Young scriptwriter has West End success

Published on isbi School News dated Monday 5th of August 2013

Rhavine Chandrapala, a Year 12 student at St Benedict's School, Ealing has been shortlisted in the final ten of the New Views national playwriting competition for young people, run by the National Theatre. His reward was a public reading of his play 'Young Folks' by National Theatre actors on 18 July in the National Theatre foyer. The competition was part of the script writing course run at St Benedict's by English teacher, Jayne Euvrard, and Drama teacher, Richard Gee.
'Young Folks' is about a group of university freshers and the play explores how their relationships form and develop. It follows four students as they try to work out themselves and each other. It's a comedy but it wasn't what Rhavine originally had in mind. 'I was working on another piece, which wasn't going too well, when I attended the National Theatre Arvon conference in December. One of the tutors suggested that I write something funnier and that's how it started. In fact it came very easily to me and I wrote the first three scenes over the next fortnight.'
Jayne Euvrard attended the public reading: 'Extra chairs had to be brought in for a full house. The play was really funny and the audience were enraptured, initially captured by the hilarity of the dialogue but finally by their genuine interest in the characters. This is no small accomplishment in a thirty minute play and I am sure we will be hearing a lot more about Rhavine.'
Rhavine sees this success as a stepping stone to higher things. 'I am currently trying to write a full length script to submit to the Royal Court, one of London's big theatres. I would love to see one of my plays being performed in the West End.' Rhavine is studying English Literature, History, Latin and Maths and, next school year, will be applying to Oxford University to read English.