Nine Bulahdelah Central School year 11 drama students realised the consequences and effects of the topic when they delved further into research for a recent production and competed at the Mental Health Festival using the topic.

They were awarded second prize.

The emotive production, which left audience members with tears in their eyes, was based on the deaths of Victorian school girls Jodie Gater and Stephanie Gestier.

Jodie and Stephanie were only 16 when they committed suicide together last year.

The production evolved after the students discovered the girls’ story.

“It really hit us,” drama student Lauren Battle said.

“They were the same as us and the same age,” drama student Shelby Matthews said.

“They seemed to have the perfect life and then they got intoxicated and posted their suicide on MySpace,” Shelby said.

Many hours of research and preparation went into the production with the students using their time after school and on weekends to rehearse.

“(Teenage suicide) is more of an issue than we think; we learnt a lot,” Lauren said.

The team organised the production in two weeks before they competed in the heats at Newcastle University during May.

Along with five other teams, the group from Bulahdelah made it into the finals.

“It was great team work,” drama student Candice Andrews said.

The drama really began when the group had technical issues during their performance in the finals.

“We had big technical problems at the start and end (of the production) but we still came through,” Shelby said.

Nina Manners, who was to sing with the backing music, ended up singing without.

The competition was open to schools along the Central and Mid North Coast.

The year 11 drama classes from Bulahdelah Central School have been entering the competition for about 10 years.

“It is very good experience for their HSC, as they had to write a play and perform it,” drama teacher Vanessa Shultz said.

In the past four years the competition has been re-vamped and is now hosted by NBN television with the best parts from the final performance being shown on television.

Taking out second prize has seen the group bring home $1000 for their school.

“We couldn’t have done it without Ms Shultz,” Miss Matthews said.

The drama class also performed the piece at the recent eisteddfod and gained another second place.

The students are now setting their skills on the year 11 musical production which they have to organise and put on a show for the school and wider community.

Lifeline: 13 11 14