All Junior Cert and TY students of French had the pleasure of experiencing and even participating in the performance of a short French stage production staged by the French Theatre for Schools group. The play was called Le porte bonheur (The lucky charm), and it was about a young man who is unlucky in love until he bought a lucky charm, changing his destiny.
The theatre company is made up of four French actors and obviously all the dialogue was in French. The actors were very lively and expressive, so that even if there were times when some of the words might not have been understood by the boys, the meaning was quite clear from the actions of the actors. At various stages during the play, some of the boys participated in the scenes which was most amusing, especially the part where two of them ‘volunteered’ to join in a dance on stage.
Overall, it was a very positive experience for the boys, being able to see French used in real life, rather than just something to be read and studied in school.