News
OA Designer Recognised as one of UK's Best Emerging Talents
Personal Excellence
Old Aloysian Jennifer McGinley was one of the 12 finalists shortlisted in this year’s Linbury Prize for stage and set design and is set to have her prize-winning designs used for a production in Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre.
OA Jennifer from the Class of 2012 recently graduated in Theatre Design from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and was chosen from graduates from throughout the UK as one of the 12 Linbury Prize finalists.
The Linbury Prize is the most prestigious of its kind in the UK and brings together the best of emerging talents for stage and set design in professional theatre, dance and opera.
The Old Aloysian has also been selected as one of four finalists who will see their designs commissioned for use with leading theatres throughout the UK, with Jennifer’s work chosen to be used in the Traverse Theatre’s production of ‘Autumn’ showing later this year.
During her time at St Aloysius’ College, Jennifer showed great ability and passion for both Art and Design and Drama and her former Art and Design teacher, Mrs Daly, described her as “an outstanding student”.
Her Drama teacher, Mrs Wheatley, only taught Jennifer for one year but the Old Aloysian managed to make a great impression in that time, which Mrs Wheatley reflected on,
“Jennifer came into the Drama department to study for a crash Higher in her sixth year at the College. A quiet, modest, hardworking girl, she soon accumulated the specialist vocabulary and wholeheartedly set about understanding and building up experience in the theatre arts.
Her first ever public performance was at the end of the Investigative Drama Unit in which she had directed a scene, acted for other directors and helped with the design elements of a performance. I remember how pleased she was with that achievement.
She was always particularly interested in set design and appreciated the sets of productions the class attended at local theatres, not only informing her work for the theory work for Drama Higher, but also her work in the Art Department.”
