Shakespeare Alive in NZ

Shakespeare Alive in NZ

Shakespeare is about to storm into Wellington with Katikati College's The Tempest , Romeo & Juliet in Tongan by Wesley College students, Henry V performed by a gutsy group of Year 9 female Homeschoolers, a multi-cultural Much Ado About Nothing by Horowhenua College, Buller High School's Hamlet, and many more of the Bard's plays.

Four hundred years after he died, Shakespeare still resonates with people throughout the globe.

In the 400th year since his death and Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand's 25th Anniversary, SGCNZ is delighted to present forty-six stimulating Shakespeare scenes by selected secondary students from throughout the country in its 2016 SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival (UOSWSF) over Queen's Birthday weekend. The SGCNZ UOSWSF performances are throughout the daytime onFriday 3 and Saturday 4 June at the Michel Fowler Centre

"It is always great to hear the mounting palpable excitement from the groups who have never been to the National Festival before , as well as welcoming back those who have been selected in previous years," said SGCNZ CEO Dawn Sanders.
An increasing number of 'non-performers' from around the country as paying to attend the performances, workshops, of which there are 21, taken by high calibre tutors in sessions as diverse as voice, verse, dance, stage combat, Shakespeare's London, singing, mime, clowning....

After the students have participated in talks, workshops and social time, on the Sunday evening 5 June at the St James Theatre, members of SGCNZ Young Shakespeare Company (YSC) 2016 will perform, followed by presentation of prizes of SGCNZ's allied Competitions in music composition, essay writing, costume, poster, static image and DVD cover design and the Festival Awards, MCed by Paul Foster-Bell MP.

Guest Assessors from the UK are Diana Devlin, courtesy Shakespeare's Globe, and Patricia Trueman, courtesy Trinity College London. Devlin has had an illustrious career in education in the UK and internationally, and is the granddaughter of Dame Sybil Thorndike and Sir Lewis Casson. Devlin will give a talk at Parliament on their tour to NZ. Pre-bookings via SGCNZ by 29 May are essential. The third Assessor is SGCNZ YSC Alumna, multi-talented Hayley Sproull - actor/singer/member of the Lochiel Marching Team in the NZ Festival Tattoo...

Three more Alumni will choose students to complement those selected from the 23 Regional Festivals to attend SGCNZ National Shakespeare Schools Production week long intensive from 24 September-2 October in Dunedin. From these 48 students, 24 will be chosen to go the Globe next year as SGCNZ YSC 2017.

With the SGCNZ UOSWSF scenes being 5 and 15 minutes long, audience may slip in and out between scenes on the same day ticket. A new ticket is required for each of the 3 days. Those able to watch them all will enjoy a feast of Shakespeare set in various countries, some incorporating Te Reo, Tongan and other languages, dance and live music. These highly talented young people will delight, astound, inspire and challenge audiences as they bring currency to Shakespeare's c425 year old plays and demonstrate the relevance to their lives.

Performances: Friday 3 June 10.00am-5.30pm - Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Saturday 4 June 9.30am-5.30pm - Michael Fowler Centre , Wellington
SGCNZ YSC & Award Ceremony: Sunday 5 June 7.00-9.30pm - St James Theatre
Tickets: $25 Adults; $20 SGCNZ Adult Friends & Concessions; $12 Students; $10 SGCNZ Student FriendsBook at Ticketek - Booking fees will apply

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