St Mary’s had five plays entering the 2016 Festival of Excellence in Dramatic Arts (FEDA). FEDA began on Friday 6 May, which meant that the girls had to work through the April school holidays in order to be fully prepared to compete.

The first St Mary’s play to perform, #Hashtag, was an original play written by Siphosihle Mbuli. #Hashtag, about the Fees Must Fall movement, was cutting edge theatre at its best, with the audience being part of the demonstration outside the theatre and then moving inside. This play was chosen as one of the top five best Original Works.

#Hashtag won awards for Best Special Effects and Best Sound. It was also nominated for Most Inspirational Production, Best Director, Best Original Script, Most Cutting Edge Production, Best Choral Work and Best Ensemble.

Next to perform was The Most Massive Woman Wins. This play received nominations for Best Ensemble and Best Lighting.

The third St Mary’s play to take to the stage was For Coloured Girls who’ve considered suicide. Lwazi Nkabinde was nominated as Best Actress for her role, and the play was also nominated for Best Sound, Best Ensemble, and Best Chorus Work. For Coloured Girls who’ve considered suicide won the Best Lighting award.