Speech & Drama · Africa
The Tygerberg International Eisteddfod’s Dramatic Extracts section: 3 real classes (Monologue, Dialogue, Group Scene) across real South African school-grade age bands, built from the society’s own official 2026 syllabus.
A ready-made dramatic extracts section for a school or district eisteddfod: a monologue, a paired dialogue and a group scene of three or more actors, each run in three school-grade bands from Grade 3-4 up to Grade 8 and Open, with a time limit that grows with the grade.
This template models the dramatic extracts section of a South African eisteddfod, built from the organiser’s own printed 2026 syllabus. It carries three classes: Dramatic Extract – Monologue for one performer, Dramatic Extract – Dialogue for a pair, and Dramatic Extract – Group Scene for three or more actors. The monologue is an individual class; the dialogue and the group scene are team classes. All three are open to both genders and are set up in English.
Entries are grouped by school grade rather than by age. Monologue and Dialogue run in three bands, Grade 3-4, Grade 5-7 and Grade 8-Open, which the template converts to ages 9 to 10, 11 to 13 and 14 and over using the usual South African schooling correspondence. The group scene is published in only two tiers, Grade 3-7 and Grade 8-Open, so its Grade 3-7 value is applied to both of the younger bands rather than inventing a split. That gives nine classes in all.
Time limits rise with the grade. A monologue or dialogue is limited to 3 minutes in Grade 3-4, 5 minutes in Grade 5-7 and 6 minutes in Grade 8-Open. A group scene is 5 minutes for Grades 3 to 7 and 7 minutes for Grade 8-Open. These are the maximums the syllabus prints for each tier, and they are installed as the class time limit.
The syllabus prints trophy placings and adjudicator marks but no points table or per-criterion scheme for these classes, so none are installed: each class carries the platform’s nominal 10-point scale, placings are left empty and fees are set to zero for you to decide. The organiser’s other sections, such as poems, prose, speech choirs, public speaking, mime, readings and the Afrikaans-language classes, are not in this template, and you can add them from the Competitions pages if your festival runs them.
Where this event is run
Dramatic extract classes, where entrants perform a prepared scene or speech from a play rather than a poem or an improvisation, are a standard part of school eisteddfods and speech and drama festivals in South Africa, and the same solo, paired and group formats appear at festivals in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. This template reflects one South African programme, so its school-grade ladder and time limits describe that syllabus; organisers elsewhere would normally swap the grade bands for their own year groups or ages.
- South Africa
Key facts
- Three classes: Dramatic Extract – Monologue (individual), Dialogue (pair) and Group Scene (three or more actors)
- Three school-grade bands, Grade 3-4, Grade 5-7 and Grade 8-Open, converted to ages 9-10, 11-13 and 14 and over (nine classes in all)
- Monologue and Dialogue: 3, 5 and 6 minutes by band; Group Scene: 5 minutes for Grades 3 to 7 and 7 minutes for Grade 8-Open
- Open to both genders and set up in English; the dialogue and group scene are entered as teams
- Placings and points are not printed, so each class carries a nominal 10-point score, ranks are left empty and fees are installed as zero
- Poems, prose, speech choirs, public speaking, mime, readings and the Afrikaans-language classes from the same programme are not included
- Age groups
- 3
- Competition items
- 3
- Competitions
- 9
- 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.
Grade 3-4
Candidates aged 9 to 10 compete in this group
Grade 5-7
Candidates aged 11 to 13 compete in this group
Grade 8-Open
Candidates aged 14 to 120 compete in this group
Competition items
The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.
Competitions by group
The full schedule matrix, sectioned by age group then category — which item runs for whom, and for how long.
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3-4 | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Dramatic Extract - Monologue | Individual | — | English | 10 | 3 min |
| Dramatic Extract - Dialogue | Team | — | English | 10 | 3 min |
| Dramatic Extract - Group Scene | Team | — | English | 10 | 5 min |
| Grade 5-7 | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Dramatic Extract - Monologue | Individual | — | English | 10 | 5 min |
| Dramatic Extract - Dialogue | Team | — | English | 10 | 5 min |
| Dramatic Extract - Group Scene | Team | — | English | 10 | 5 min |
| Grade 8-Open | |||||
| Action | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Dramatic Extract - Monologue | Individual | — | English | 10 | 6 min |
| Dramatic Extract - Dialogue | Team | — | English | 10 | 6 min |
| Dramatic Extract - Group Scene | Team | — | English | 10 | 7 min |
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.
Install this template in eTalenter
Everything above is installed as a live, editable event in one step — age groups, items, rules and scoring. Start your own below.
Start a Tygerberg International Eisteddfod – Dramatic Extracts event
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