Shakespeare inspiration aplenty at the PumpHouse Theatre

Twenty-four Year 11 Drama students recently travelled over the Auckland Harbour Bridge to experience Shakespeare in the Park.

‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ was performed by the company at Shoreside Theatre. The production’s location, at the PumpHouse Theatre’s amphitheatre, gave the students a taste of what it would have been like at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The cast grabbed the audience’s attention from the beginning, interacting and even stealing popcorn and snacks. The shenanigans continued on stage as letters were exchanged, disguises were donned, plans were hatched and many, many accents were heard. Although the cast were excellent in their portrayal of the characters, the show was stolen by a possum who (not once, but thrice) wandered across stage left, through the trees, into ceiling of the stage, and back again. The actors dealt with this superbly, incorporating its presence in the scene and leaving ‘John Falstaff’ to exclaim, “I can’t even monologue on my own!”

The Year 11 students now begin their own exploration of Shakespeare’s plays, drawing inspiration from the show they have seen as a foundation for their learning. They will perform scenes from Macbeth in the later part of this term.