Champion John Paul College students. Photo/supplied
Champion John Paul College students. Photo/supplied
Family, friends, students and teachers turned out to celebrate Shakespeare in modern form on Saturday.
The Rotorua/Lakes regional competition for the University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival was on Saturday at Rotorua Lakes High School.
More than 60 students participated in the regional competition, which is part of the wider Sheilah Winn contest.
It gives some students the chance to visit London's Globe Theatre.
Students from John Paul College, Rotorua Girls' High, Rotorua Lakes High School and Western Heights High School all participated in the competition, performing 12 pieces between them.
The pieces were all either five or 15 minutes long and were taken from six different Shakespeare plays and featured casts from as small as two to as large as 14.
They were directed by both teachers and student directors.
Josha McGrath (Caesar) and Olivia Temm (Calpurnia) performing in the winning 15-minute scene Julius Caesar. Photo/supplied
John Paul College drama teacher Candice Stevenson has co-ordinated the event for many years and said it was always a highlight of the school year.
"The kids pretty much start the school year and it's all go," Stevenson said.
"They have had about six weeks so it's a real push and the kids have been fantastic."
Stevenson competed in Sheilah Winn when she was at high school and said the festival was an important event to keep going.
"It's a really important thing to keep alive, to have that experience working with Shakespeare."
For some of those competing it was a big day as after their performance they had to rush to perform in Mary Poppins at the Energy Events Centre.
Stevenson said six of the groups had students involved.
Rotorua Lakes High School students Leroy Nurkka and Emma Jenkin performing at Sheilah Winn. Photo/supplied
The winner of the five-minute performance was Titus Andronicus directed by John Paul College student Ashleigh Hart.
The 15-minute performance was won by John Paul College, directed by Gabrielle Thurston, with a scene from Julius Caesar and the student awarded direct entry to the National Shakespeare Schools Production was Warna Karunanayake from Western Heights High School.
About the festival: - 24 regional contests nationwide between March and April. - High school students perform five and 15-minute scenes from Shakespeare's plays set in any time, place, dress, though in his words. - The best scenes are chosen for the national festival, Queen's Birthday weekend in Wellington. - 48 students selected from the regional and national festivals attend the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) National Shakespeare Schools Production, a week-long intensive course. - Of those, 24 students are chosen for the SGCNZ Young Shakespeare Company and travel to the Globe Theatre in London the following year.
The winners Best ensemble - John Paul College - A comedy of Errors (Final scene) and John Paul College - Titus Andronicus Best understanding of the Text - John Paul College - Julius Caesar Most promising actor - Tamahou Smith (Western Heights High School) Outstanding performance in a supporting role - Kate Bird Much Ado About Nothing ( John Paul College) Versatility of talent - Leroy Nurkka (Lakes High School) Connection between actors - Rotorua Girls High - Teina Cassidy (Beatrice) and Te Raumawhitu Nawainilaga (Benedick) in Much Ado About Nothing Best Female Actor - Olivia Temm (John Paul College) Best Male Actor - Cullen Smith and Joshua McGrath (John Paul College) Best Under 16 Female Actor - Kaea Perfect (Western Height's High School) Best Under 16 Male Actor - Mitchell Jones (John Paul College) Best 5 minute Student Director - Ashleigh Hart Titus Andronicus (John Paul College) Runner up 15 minute scene - Rotorua Girls High School Much Ado about Nothing Best 15 minute scene - John Paul College Julius Caesar Direct Entry Student to SGCNZ - Warna Karunanayake (Western Heights High School).
