TOP CLASS 2026 – DRAMA
TOP CLASS – DRAMA 2026
Mentonian Lucy Riddle (Class of 2025) has secured a coveted place in the 2026 Top Class Drama concert, to be held on Tuesday 24 March 2026 at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Top Class Drama celebrates excellence in the 2025 VCE Drama curriculum, showcasing outstanding students from across Victoria in a three-hour concert of original monologues drawn from the prescribed structures.
At the end of 2025, high-achieving VCE Performing Arts students were invited to audition for the 2026 Top Class concert series. Mentone Grammar was proud to have three Drama students selected to audition — congratulations to Lucy R, Hugo B and Taylor H.
Head of Drama and Dance Jamie McCarney said, “We are incredibly proud of our students and their continued success in the Performing Arts. Those invited to audition have achieved exceptional examination results, representing the very best in the state. Securing three Top Class Drama auditions reflects the high standard of excellence at Mentone Grammar.”
He explained that achieving top results requires students to meet ten rigorous assessment criteria, engaging in extensive research, improvisation, scripting, editing and sustained rehearsal over many months. “Students must present a distinctive artistic voice that showcases their individual strengths. Selection for Top Class is highly competitive and based on excellence, diversity and representation across the Performing Arts disciplines,” he said.
Mr McCarney added, “Lucy’s achievement, along with the outstanding results of her peers, is the result of their persistence and commitment, supported by their families and the many staff members at Mentone Grammar who encourage and guide them throughout the journey.”
Reflecting on her time at Mentone Grammar, Lucy said the school’s rich creative culture shaped her journey. “I performed in a musical every year from Year 5,” she said. “Highlights were Spamalot in Year 6 and playing Heather McNamara in Heathers The Musical in Year 12.” She also immersed herself in choir, Jazz Cabarets and Cre8tive Dance concerts, and in 2025 proudly served as Performing Arts Captain.
Now a graduate, Lucy is undertaking a double degree in Law and Film at Monash University. “I’m looking forward to exploring the co-curricular Performing Arts opportunities at Monash. Law is a passion I’m excited to pursue, while film allows me to continue developing my creativity,” she said.
Lucy credits Mr McCarney’s mentorship as instrumental to her success. “He created such a supportive environment and pushed us to keep refining our work,” she said. “Improvisation was initially outside my comfort zone, but learning to embrace that discomfort made all the difference.”
Drawing on his professional comedy background, Mr McCarney brings performance experience into the classroom to shape and strengthen his teaching. He believes meaningful growth is built on persistence and trust. “Students flourish when they feel safe enough to take risks. We concentrate on steady progress, continual refinement and rehearsing until the performance becomes instinctive,” he said.
Lucy’s advice to future Drama students is simple: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Once I stepped beyond my comfort zone, my performance truly came together.”
Lucy will perform at Top Class Drama on Tuesday 24 March 2026 at 10:00am at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Tickets are available via the Melbourne Recital Centre Box Office: https://www.melbournerecital.com.au/whats-on/current-productions/top-class-drama-2026
Written by Steph Kinnear