Whangārei Girls' High students win big at Shakespeare nationals

Whangārei Girls' High winners (from left) Lily Hallett-Pullen, Georgia Harrold, Ayesha Simperingham, Reagan Fielding proving to be a crowd-pleaser. Photo / Brian Scurfield

Impersonating boys on toilets resulted in an unexpected win for four Whangārei Girls' High students at the national Shakespeare competition.

The group - including Lily Hallett-Pullen, Georgia Harrold, Ayesha Simperingham and Reagan Fielding - were awarded most innovative interpretation at the National Shakespeare Schools Production in Wellington over Queen's Birthday weekend.

Fielding also picked up an individual award for the most outstanding comic role out of the 48 actors competing.

She was selected as one of the 22 students to attend the National Schools Shakespeare Production in Dunedin later this year.

The group performed a five-minute piece from Love's Labours Lost that won the Northland regional competition back in April.

Hallett-Pullen said the idea stemmed from ongoing rivalry between the girls' school and neighbouring Whangārei Boys' High.

"We had this idea to dress up as them and then thought where's the place we could bring out the worst of them and make it really funny and that was the toilets."

And it worked, the crew and the crowd were in hysterics at the national competition.

Fielding said she hadn't expected to get such a good reaction out of the crowd because they had rehearsed it so many times.

"Getting that award was totally unexpected but a good feeling."

The group hope to compete again next year.