Speech & Drama Syllabus

Age 5 & Under

SD01  Nursery Rhyme - Time Limit 2 mins (A)
SD02  Verse Speaking - Time Limit 2 mins (A)
SD03  Solo Scene & Song - Time Limit 2 mins (A)

Age 6 – 8 Years

SD04  Verse Speaking - Time Limit 2 mins (A)
SD05  Prepared Prose Reading - Time Limit 2 mins (A)
SD06  Solo Scene & Song - Time Limit 5 mins (B)
SD07  Acting Monologue - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD08  Acting Duologue - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD09  Duo Scene & Song - Time Limit 5 mins (B)

Age 9 – 11 Years

SD10  Verse Speaking - Time Limit 2 mins (A)
SD11  Prepared Prose Reading - Time Limit 2 mins (A)
SD12  Solo Scene & Song - Time Limit 6 mins (B)
SD13  Acting Monologue - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD14  Acting Duologue - Time Limit 4 mins (B)
SD15  Duo Scene & Song - Time Limit 6 mins (B)

Age 12 - 14 Years

SD16  Verse Speaking - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD17  Prepared Prose Reading - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD18  Sight Reading (Adjudicator’s Choice)
SD19  Shakespeare Solo - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD20  Solo Scene & Song - Time Limit 6 mins (B)
SD21  Acting Monologue - Time Limit 4 mins (B)
SD22  Acting Duologue - Time Limit 4 mins (B)
SD23  Duo Scene & Song - Time Limit 6 mins (B)

Age 15 - 16 Years

SD24  Verse Speaking - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD25  Prepared Prose Reading - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD26  Sight Reading (Adjudicator’s Choice)
SD27  Shakespeare Solo - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD28  Solo Scene & Song - Time Limit 8 mins (B)
SD29  Acting Monologue - Time Limit 5 mins (B)
SD30  Acting Duologue - Time Limit 5 mins (B)
SD31  Duo Scene & Song - Time Limit 8 mins (B)

Age 17 - 18 Years

SD32  Verse Speaking - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD33  Prepared Prose Reading - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD34  Sight Reading (Adjudicator’s Choice)
SD35  Shakespeare Solo - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
SD36  Solo Scene & Song - Time Limit 8 mins (B)
SD37  Acting Monologue - Time Limit 5 mins (B)
SD38  Acting Duologue - Time Limit 5 mins (B)
SD39  Duo Scene & Song - Time Limit 8 mins (B)

Adult Classes

AD01 Verse Speaking - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
AD02  Prepared Prose Reading - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
AD03  Sight Reading (Adjudicator’s Choice)
AD04  Shakespeare Solo - Time Limit 3 mins (A)
AD05  Solo Scene & Song - Time Limit 8 mins (B)
AD06  Acting Monologue - Time Limit 5 mins (B)
AD07  Acting Duologue - Time Limit 5 mins (B)
AD08  Duo Scene & Song - Time Limit 8 mins (B)
AD09  Acted Scene (minimum 3 performers) - Time Limit 15 mins (F)
AD10  Devised Scene (minimum 3 performers) - Time Limit 15 mins (F)
AD11  Acted Scene & Song (minimum 3 performers) - Time Limit 20 mins (F)

Group Classes

Minimum number of performers: 3
No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4, 5 & 6 below.)

SD40  Acted Scene (11 years & under) - Time Limit 15 mins (F)
SD41  Acted Scene (12 – 18 years) - Time Limit 15 mins (F)
SD42  Devised Scene (18 years & under) - Time Limit 15 mins (F)
SD43  Acted Scene & Song (18 years & under) - Time Limit 20 mins (F)

Poetry Composition

Original composition. To be submitted with entry. Writer of the winning entries will be given an opportunity to read their poems at the time of adjudication. (A representative may read the poem if the writer prefers.)

SD44  11 years & under (A)
SD45  12 – 15 years (A)
SD46  15 – 18 years (A)
AD12  Adult (A)

Class Descriptions

Nursery Rhyme – Entrants are to speak from memory one Nursery Rhyme of their own choice. A copy of the Nursery Rhyme is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward.

Verse Speaking - Entrants are to recite from memory one poem of their own choice. A copy of the poem is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward.

Prepared Prose Reading - Entrants are to read an extract of their own choice. A copy of the extract is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward.

Sight Reading - Adjudicator’s choice.

Shakespeare Solo - Own choice portraying one character from any of Shakespeare’s plays. The play chosen should be written by Shakespeare alone and not by Shakespeare in conjunction with any other writer. Spoken from memory. A copy of the script is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward. No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4 & 5.)

Solo Scene & Song - Own choice portraying one character from any musical, to include acting, dialogue, singing & movement where appropriate. Performed from memory. A copy of the script is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward. No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4, 5 & 6.)

Acting Monologue - Own choice portraying one character from any book or play, excluding plays written exclusively by Shakespeare. Spoken from memory. A copy of the script is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward. No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4 & 5.)

Acting Duologue - Own choice. Two actors portraying two characters from any book or play. Spoken from memory. A copy of the script is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward. No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4 & 5.)

Duo Scene & Song - Own choice. Two actors portraying two characters from any musical to include acting, dialogue, singing & movement where appropriate. A copy of the script is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward. No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4, 5 & 6.)

Acted Scene (Group class) - Acted scene from any book or play. Minimum number of performers: 3. A copy of the script is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward. No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4, 5 & 6.)

Devised Scene (Group class) - The piece should be original, transcribed & a copy of the script is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward. Minimum number of performers: 3. No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4 & 5.)

Acted Scene & Song (Group class) - Acted Scene from any musical to include acting, dialogue & singing with movement where appropriate. A copy of the script is to be given to the adjudicator’s steward. Minimum number of performers: 3. No costume and essential props only. (Please see Rules 4, 5 & 6.)

Adjudicator: Mary Ann Tear LLAM,LISTD,AISTD,DipLCDD,DipEd,CertTESOL MSTSD (Adj)

Venue: Park Community School, Havant, PO9 4BU.

Dates: 7^th February 2026

Closing date for entries: 10th November 2025

Online entries: pfpa.org.uk

Paper entries/titles to: PFPA Speech & Drama, 34 Woodlands Avenue, Emsworth, PO10 7QE.

Mary Ann Tear is a BIFF adjudicator, an examiner for Trinity College London, choreographer, director and Performing Arts lecturer and practitioner. Her work has taken her to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Canada, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bermuda, as well as centres in Europe and the United Kingdom. After spending 13 years in Singapore, where she co-founded the Singapore Performing Arts Festival, she has recently re- located back to the UK but she is still pursuing her adjudicating, examining, lecturing, and theatre direction. Mary Ann was a lecturer in Performing Arts working for LaSalle, NAFA, & SOTA in Singapore and the Universities of Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the UK whilst also pursuing her professional theatrical career with performance, choreography, and direction in drama, musical theatre, pantomime, physical theatre, and, most recently, chamber opera. She always had an interest in teaching and ran her own schools in Hertfordshire working with students of all ages in drama and dance. She led a Youth Theatre and was involved with many community arts projects in the UK. She has created programmes for the teaching of Voice for theatre, public speaking and debate and delivers these both online and face to face. Whilst enjoying all aspects of her varied career Mary Ann also finds time to read, debate, listen to music, go to the theatre, visit art galleries, watch the latest movies believing that it is important to be in touch with the current global Arts scene

PLEASE NOTE:

In addition to the main Rules & Regulations, the following rules now apply to the Speech & Drama section. Please read these carefully as there are some changes this year.

1. All entries needing a recorded accompaniment such as a backing track must be sent as an MP3 or MP4 file via email by Monday 8^th January to pmfspeechanddrama@yahoo.com
2. We have an Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) group licence cover which covers the copyright associated with performing poetry and prose. We must provide the following information for the poems and prose performed at the festival; Name of author, Name of piece performed, Title of book (if possible), ISBN number (if possible). Please include that information with your entry. For online entries please ensure you include that information.
3. Costume and costume suggestion are NOT permitted. It is suggested that participants in acting classes wear their Drama School uniform or an “all black” practice outfit to avoid any confusion.
4. Essential props only are permitted. (Please note if an item of clothing has a specific use within the acting piece it may be worn as an essential prop e.g. a hat worn to denote character such as a witch would be deemed costume suggestion and is not allowed but a hat which is removed in the scene for a specific purpose would be considered an essential prop. Any prop which could not be effectively mimed would also be considered as an essential prop e.g. a wand which is held and used throughout the performance)
5. Classes which include singing in the performance should not be predominantly a vocal performance with little dialogue. There should be sufficient dialogue to lead smoothly into the song and there should be a balanced performance with spoken words and song – not necessarily equal but it must be remembered that this is the Speech & Drama Section and not Vocal or Choral.
6. No performance should contain any swearing or obscene language. (If you are in any doubt about whether a word or phrase would be considered “swearing or obscene language” or could cause embarrassment or offence to an audience member it is advised that you omit or change the relevant words. Please remember that there may be young children in the audience and even mild swearing is therefore unacceptable.) See note below.
7. Performers should avoid using material unsuitable for the age of the performer. (This does not necessarily relate to the age of the character being portrayed – many young children choose to perform speeches or songs originally performed by adults e.g. Mary Poppins. The concerns are rather with younger children performing work which contains, for example inappropriate sexual references, or explicit references to violence etc.) In group items the material performed should be suitable for the youngest members of the group even if they are not on stage at the time as they will still be exposed to inappropriate material. See note below.

Prizes

The John Davidson Challenge Trophy will be awarded to the entrant from the Junior Section with the highest aggregate mark from Verse Speaking, Prepared Prose Speaking, Acting Monologue, Shakespeare Solo and Sight Reading.

The Whymark Trophy will be awarded to the entrant from the Junior Section who, in the opinion of the adjudicator, has achieved a consistently good standard & shows promise, but has not been awarded a first place in a solo class.

The Tenth Anniversary Cup will be awarded to the most outstanding solo performance in the Junior Section (regardless of mark) in the opinion of the adjudicator.

The Clarke-Jervoise Shield will be awarded to the entrant from the Adult Section with
the highest aggregate mark from Verse Speaking, Prepared Prose Speaking, Acting Monologue, Sight Reading and Shakespeare Solo.

The Julia Cup will be awarded to the most outstanding performer, in the opinion of the adjudicator, in Class SD43.