Students mesmerised by Shakespeare performance
Posted on February 25, 2022
On Tuesday 15 February an excited group of MCert, Sheilah Winn Shakespeare, and NCEA Drama students attended an evening performance of Shoreside Theatre Company’s Auckland Shakespeare in the Park at The Pumphouse Theatre in Takapuna.
Accompanied by Drama teachers Ms Harrison and Ms Walsh, the students were delighted by the comedic story of The Two Gentlemen of Verona performed in an outdoor amphitheatre.
The students were mesmerised throughout the full two-and-a-half-hour performance in which they saw excellent physical comedy, witty line delivery, and outrageous antics from the Shoreside actors. The play incorporated many themes, including how appearance and reality might not be the same thing, the use of disguises, mirror plots, loyalty versus betrayal, and cross gender performances.
This term the MCert Drama students are studying Shakespeare to perform in class for their Milestone assessment. Watching a professional production of Shakespeare enhanced their comprehension of the acting style, performance techniques, and scope of a Shakespeare production.
Last year the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival students from Macleans College won their Regional category and were given the opportunity to perform at the Nationals in Wellington. This year they will once again compete at the event in April at Botany Downs Secondary College.
