On the last Sunday of April over 30 Macleans College students came together, along with over 100 other students from all over Auckland, to compete at the regional Shakespeare festival.

From tragedy to comedy, the range of performances was immense, each actor providing a unique insight into their character. Laughs were had, tears were shed and awards were won. The day ended with two performances from Macleans College sitting neck and neck with each other. The judges loved the unique interpretation of a well-known scene from the tragedy ‘Macbeth’. Set in a mental hospital, the scene portrayed the internal conflict experienced by Macbeth (Quintin Smith), all at the hands of the three witches (Christine Shao, Vethahi Arunthayaparan, Arya Harilal). The piece that was named regional winner was a depiction of the famous ‘Richard III’ wooing scene. It showed Richard (Abhishek Chawla) attempting to seduce Lady Anne (Arya Harilal) following the murder of her husband, a committed by Richard himself. Khorshed Tarapore was selected as the regional representative for NSSP (National Shakespeare Schools Production) for her role as Olivia in ‘Twelfth Night’.

Over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, Mr. Bentley accompanied seven students to the national Shakespearean Festival in Wellington.  SGCNZ 2015 showcased winning regional performances and recognised the high calibre of aspiring young actors, actresses and directors from across the country. The students also attended workshops led by well-esteemed directors and actors who gave insightful advice on what it takes to deliver an effective performance. Abhishek and Arya performed their scene at the St. James Theatre to an audience of over 500 people. They came away with two prestigious awards, ‘Best Student Directed Ensemble’ and ‘Most Co-operative School’.

Arya recalls, “twas an exciting culmination of hours of rehearsal and being selected from nationals for NSSP is a great honour to which I hope I can do justice. I highly recommend for students to get involved in this. Sheila Winn has most definitely shaped my high school experience for the better.”

In September, Khorshed and Arya will return to Wellington, as two of 46 students selected from all over the country, to participate in a week of intensive workshops and performances. Of these 46 students, 23 will be selected to travel to the Globe Theatre in London next year, a once in a lifetime experience.

Written by Arya Harilal; edited by Annaliese Wheeler.