GHSS Kokkallur scores triple hat trick in Malayalam drama

GHSS Kokkallur excels in theatre, winning numerous awards at district and state levels, attracting aspiring actors and directors.

The Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Kokkallur, is now regarded as one of the best training grounds for theatre in Kozhikode. With nine consecutive first prizes in Malayalam drama at the District School Arts Festival, along with multiple best play and best actor awards at the State level, the school has made a strong name for itself in the State’s theatre circuit.

The play Ettam by the school has been selected to represent the district in this year’s State School Arts Festival, with its lead actor, Yadu Krishna Ram, winning the award for best actor. The school has been on an impressive streak since 2015, when its play Kunjuchettante Kunju, directed by Manoj Narayanan, qualified for the State-level and earned an A-grade. Since then, seven other plays— Puli Paranja Katha, Thaen, Otta, Kakkukali, Singapore, Kalasamithi, and Kumaru —have also received A-grades at the State-level. Adwaith P.S and Yadu Krishna Ram have each won the best actor award, further elevating the school’s reputation.

“We call ourselves theatre fanatics, willing to go to any length to improve our plays. But our greatest support comes from ‘Mavericks Creative Collective’, a group of theatre enthusiasts mainly made up of our alumni, local people, teachers, and others,” said Mohammed C. Achiyath, the English teacher at the school, who oversees the theatre activities.

Manoj Narayanan has directed three plays for the school, while Vijesh Kozhikode, another renowned director, has contributed for several years. Ettam was directed by Nikhil Das. Interestingly, Kumaru, which won the best play and best actor awards at the State-level last year, was directed by Nived P.S, an alumnus of the school and the lead actor of Kunjuchettante Kunju.

While the members of the Mavericks collective offer wholesome support to the school drama team, roping in talented students is also mostly a cakewalk for the school. “Our good track record in drama has attracted students with theatre aspirations from near and far, who choose this school for their Higher Secondary Education. This year, we had 32 candidates for the 10-member team,” said Mr. Achiyath.

The significant expenses involved in staging a play are often shared by parents and teachers. They offset the costs by accepting fees for private performances. Kumaru was performed at 18 stages after winning the best play award. Ettam already has two bookings,” said Mr. Achiyath, adding that such performances provide valuable learning experiences for students as they develop professionally.