Shakespeare comes to Te Awamutu College

Sam Clunie and Charlize Fourie perform in The Tempest at last year's Shakespeare festival. Photo / Supplied

Te Awamutu College is hosting the Waikato Regional Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn (SGCNZ UOSW) Shakespeare Festival on Friday, April 5.

It will be the second time the college has hosted the festival as it rebuilds from the disruption of Covid-19, and sent the festival into digital mode in 2020-22.

Eight schools in the region have taken up the challenge of preparing five and 15-minute scenes from Shakespeare’s plays: Cambridge High School, Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Hamilton Girls’ High School, Hamilton Boys’ High School, Waihi College, St Paul’s Collegiate (Hamilton), Hillcrest High School and Te Awamutu College

This year was the 33rd festival season, commencing with 32 regional events, followed by the national festival held over King’s Birthday weekend in Wellington.

From there, selected students would participate in the National Schools’ Shakespeare Production in the August school holiday leading to potential selection for the Young Shakespeare Company, which travels to London every April to study and perform at the Globe Theatre.

Drama teacher and SGCNZ regional representative Morag Carter said it was an awesome opportunity for students to explore Shakespeare’s works through performance.

“It’s always interesting to see different interpretations of the plays and how they hit despite being over 400 years old.”

The regional Shakespeare festival would be held in the Te Awamutu College School Hall from 10am to 2pm on April 5. It was open to the public, for a charge of $5 for adults and $3 for school-age children.

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