Gale Force students have once again demonstrated their mastery of the spoken word after 16 of the theatre school’s entrants who took their ESB (English Speaking Board) examinations in October achieved distinctions, six gained merit plus and two reached merit category.
Subjects chosen for presentations included the London 2012 Olympics, RNLI founder Sir William Hillary, Liverpool Football Club and Charles Dickens.
King William’s College and long-term Gale Force students Christopher Chan and Ellie Schofield, both aged 16, took away ESB advanced certificates in language and arts (ACLA) after their 15-minute presentations and 20-minute discussion-leading sessions impressed the judges, not least one of the ESB’s most senior examiners Tony Eyres.
Success was not confined solely to younger students. In the adults section Gianni Elvezia received a merit grade, while distinctions went to Kim Holden and Jason Postlethwaite.
Mr Postlethwaite, from Onchan, achieved a distinction at advanced level in the ESB’s Readers and Leaders in Places of Worship category. He explained that being tutored by Gale Force founder and director Barbara Gale had given him ‘an objective opinion’ on his public speaking skills. He said he and his wife Lisa were among ‘a handful’ of younger members of St Peter’s church, Onchan. His ESB presentation was, he said, an ‘impassioned’ speech of ‘vision and mission’ that reflected his drive to attract younger people to the congregation and help position the church at the heart of the community through initiatives that would open the building up to regular use throughout the week. His second piece was a two-minute passage from Barack Obama’s inspiring 2004 Democratic national convention keynote address ‘Out of Many, One’ that propelled the then obscure state senator to national prominence.
Mrs Gale said: ‘All the students are to be congratulated on their ESB achievements. The exams were distinguished not only by sensational results but also by the inspirational light and shade of the presentations that revealed exceptional talent across all ages. As always it was as much a pleasure to tutor such dedicated students as it was to share in their delight on learning of their success.’
Photo caption - Jason Postlethwaite achieved an English Speaking Board advanced level distinction grade. Picture Andrew Barton.
