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Shakespeare Festival
Shakespeare SUCCESSES
The annual Auckland Central Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand Festival was held for the first time in our new Diocesan Theatre. At our biggest festival yet, the stage saw over 50 scenes performed by Dio and other local schools and the standard matched our exceptional facilities.
William Shakespeare C ongratulations are in order for a formidable trio: Rosie Leishman, Phebe Mason and Melissa Uren. They have been at the SGCNZ National Festival as five-minute student-directed winners for the past three years. This highly competitive category is always a big draw. This year the girls saw off over 40 other scenes to reign supreme. There was additional success for Rosie Leishman as she won the adult/student category of the 15-minute scene with her partner Natasha Mori. These girls have been involved in the festival since Year 9 and have enjoyed being at the national festival every year.
This year saw a Year 12 student from Dio claim the direct-entry golden ticket, awarded to the most
Amelia England as Desdemona in a scene from Othello.
outstanding performer of the festival. Amelia England as Desdemona was “breath taking” according to the judges and will join the elite company of 24 performers from around New Zealand in Wellington in the October holidays.
Acting was not our only strength this year, with Amanda Yu (Year 10) showing her artistic flair as a finalist in the SGCNZ Costume Competition and Arielle Friedlander (Year 13) as a finalist in the Otago University Shakespeare Essay Competition where her “sharp wit” was commended.
Queen’s Birthday Weekend is when all the best young Shakespearian actors descend on Wellington. After a digital festival last year, it was exciting to be able to reconnect with students from around New Zealand. After an invigorating day of industry professionals’ workshops and two plays at Circa theatre, the girls performed on the famous Michael Fowler stage. The Comedy of Errors brought the house down with its amazing energy and audience participation, followed by a masterclass in character interaction from The Merchant of Venice. Both groups received prestigious scene awards.
The awards recevied were: Phebe Mason – ‘I am the master of my speeches award’ for excellence in verse and prose. Kennedy Howe and Rosie Leishman – ‘Best communication with the audience’ for the self-directed The Comedy of Errors.
Natasha Mori (L) as Dromio with Rosie Leishman (R) as Antipholus in The Comedy of Errors. Phebe Mason, Melissa Uren and Rosie Leishman – ‘Best vocal projection’ for The Merchant of Venice. Arielle Friedlander – silver medal for her insightful essay about fake news in the works of Shakespeare. Amanda Yu – bronze medal for her innovative costume design. Alyssa Richardson and Amelia McIntosh – highly commended in the costume design competition.
The Merchant of Venice – (L to R) Phebe Mason as Bassanio, Rosie Leishman as Antonio and Melissa Uren as Shylock.
