Last week, our Year 12 Drama students attended a performance of Robot Song at The Round. This powerful Australian work is included on the VCE Drama Playlist prescribed by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), making it an important live theatre experience for our students as they prepare for both their analysis SAC and end-of-year written examination.
Robot Song is an award-winning production by Jolyon James that tells the story of 11-year-old Juniper May. After being bullied and presented with a petition declaring her 'the most hated person in the school,' Juniper retreats from the world — refusing to eat and refusing to return to school. Through music, imagination and unconditional love, Juniper ultimately finds her voice and begins to define herself on her own terms.
The production explores themes of difference, belonging and inclusion. The work invites audiences to consider empathy, resilience and the power of creativity in navigating a world that can feel rigid or unkind, a wonderful message for all.
The students were particularly engaged by the innovative production style, which combined live performance with digital technology, animation and puppetry. I would also like to commend our Year 12 Drama class for their outstanding theatre etiquette. They represented the school beautifully, engaging thoughtfully with the performance and demonstrating exemplary behaviour throughout the excursion.
Experiencing live theatre is an invaluable part of Drama education, and Robot Song provided both an emotionally resonant story and an excellent foundation for the analytical work students will now undertake in class.
Felicia Taine
VCE Drama Teacher
