Youths stage playwright's works

More than 100 students from Wairarapa colleges performed scenes from Shakespeare to an appreciative and enthusiastic audience in the annual Sheilah Winn festival.

Wellington theatre director Alison Walls was assessor for the contest, which comprised a 15-minute teacher-directed scene and a five-minute student-directed scene from each of the six colleges.

Regional festival co-ordinator Marilyn Bouzaid said the contest made for a "most entertaining evening" of performance to a large and appreciative audience.

The group declared winner of the 15-minute scene was Wairarapa College for a scene taken from Richard III and the winner of the five-minute scene was Jasmine Winstanley from Rathkeale/St Matthew's Senior College for a scene taken from Romeo and Juliet.

Anastasia Roberts from Chanel College impressed the assessor and was selected for direct entry to the National Shakespeare in Schools Programme, while Charlotte Fletcher from Rathkeale/St Matthew's Senior College won the Barbara Vinten Memorial Shield for Comedy Role.

The Wairarapa Speech Communication Cup for Delivery of the Text went to Alessandra Giorgioni and Izabelle Brown from Kuranui College for their five-minute student-directed scene from Twelfth Night.

Certificate awards were presented to Solway College for use of stage combat in a scene taken from Taming of the Shrew; and to Rathkeale/St Matthew's Senior College for strongest ensemble work in a scene from Coriolanus.

Kuranui College received a certificate for most interesting interpretation in a scene from Hamlet; as did Chanel College for best use of live music in a scene also from Hamlet.