City of Parramatta Eisteddfod – Speech & Drama — Speech and Drama Classes for Ages 7 to 17 and Over: Prose, Verse, Character Sketch, Mime and Duologue

Speech & Drama · Australia & New Zealand

The 74th City of Parramatta Eisteddfod’s Speech & Drama section: 5 real classes (Memorised Prose, Character Sketch in Costume, Australian Verse, Mime, Duologues in Costume) across real 2-year age bands, built from the society’s own official 2026 syllabus.

A ready-made speech and drama section for a city or district eisteddfod: five solo and pair classes (memorised prose, a character sketch in costume, Australian verse, mime and a duologue in costume), each scaled to two-year age bands from seven years old up to adults, with a time limit that grows with age.

This template models the speech and drama section of an Australian city eisteddfod, built from the organiser’s own printed 2026 syllabus. It carries five classes: Memorised Prose, Character Sketch in Costume, Australian Verse (Own Choice), Mime and Duologues in Costume. Four are solo classes for an individual performer; the duologue is a team class, entered as a pair, and the whole section is open to both genders and performed in English.

Every class is split into two-year age bands: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17 and over. Not every class runs in every band, because the source publishes each class only for the tiers it actually offers. Character Sketch in Costume and Australian Verse run in all six bands (26 classes in the template in total), Memorised Prose runs from 7-8 to 15-16, Mime from 7-8 to 13-14, and the Duologue in Costume starts at 9-10 and runs to 17 and over.

Time limits scale with age. Memorised Prose is 2 minutes up to 12 and 3 minutes for 13 to 16. Character Sketch in Costume grows from 3 minutes at 7 to 10, to 4 minutes at 11 to 14, and 5 minutes from 15. Australian Verse runs 2 minutes, then 2 and a half, then 3 minutes from 13. Mime starts at 1 and a half minutes for the youngest and reaches 2 and a half. The duologue is 5 minutes up to 14 and 6 minutes from 15.

The syllabus prints placings (first to fourth) but no points, marks scheme or judging criteria for these classes, so none are installed: each class carries the platform’s nominal 10-point scale and fees are set to zero for you to decide. Placings are installed with no points. Many other sections of the same syllabus, such as championships, restricted verse, group mime, readings and public speaking, are not in this template, and you can add them from the Competitions pages if your festival runs them.

Where this event is run

Graded speech and drama sections with memorised prose, verse, mime, costume work and a two-person scene are the backbone of eisteddfods and performing arts festivals across Australia, and the same class types appear at festivals in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa and Canada. This template reflects one Australian city programme, so its age bands, class names and time limits describe that syllabus; the “Australian Verse” class in particular is specific to Australian festivals, and organisers elsewhere would normally swap in poetry from their own country.

• Australia

Key facts

• Five classes: Memorised Prose, Character Sketch in Costume, Australian Verse (Own Choice), Mime and Duologues in Costume
• Six two-year age bands from 7-8 to 17 and over, with each class offered only in the bands the source publishes (26 classes in all)
• Four solo classes and one team class (the duologue is entered as a pair), open to both genders in English
• Time limits rise with age, from 1 and a half minutes for the youngest mime entries to 6 minutes for older duologues
• First to fourth placings only; no marks scheme, criteria or points are printed, so each class carries a nominal 10-point score and fees are installed as zero
• Championships, restricted classes, group classes, readings and public speaking from the same programme are not included

Age groups

6

Competition items

5

Competitions

26

Grade bands

0

Rank awards

0

Age groups

Every candidate is placed into one of these groups by age, and competitions are run per group.

7-8 years

7From

–

8To

Candidates aged 7 to 8 compete in this group

9-10 years

9From

–

10To

Candidates aged 9 to 10 compete in this group

11-12 years

11From

–

12To

Candidates aged 11 to 12 compete in this group

13-14 years

13From

–

14To

Candidates aged 13 to 14 compete in this group

15-16 years

15From

–

16To

Candidates aged 15 to 16 compete in this group

17 and over

17From

–

120To

Candidates aged 17 to 120 compete in this group

Competition items

The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.

Memorised Prose

LiteraryMarks

Character Sketch in Costume

ActionMarks

Australian Verse (Own Choice)

LiteraryMarks

Mime

ActionMarks

Duologues in Costume

ActionMarks

Frequently asked questions

Can I change this template after installing it?

Yes — installing it creates a fully configured, live event, not a locked package. Every age group, competition item, rule and scoring setting can be edited afterwards to match exactly what your event actually needs.

Do I need technical knowledge to set this up?

No. Installing a template does the setup work for you; you only need to review the details (dates, unit or house names) and open registration.

Want the fuller picture first? See our guide to drama and skit judging criteria guide.