Review: Tears and laughter on Te Puke stage with Shakespeare in Shorts

Owen Force is bringing a taste of the Bard to Te Puke.

Reviewer: Lois Wort

Shakespeare! That’s a name to make your heart sink or your spirits soar when you think back to your school days.

Don’t blame him; he never meant to be in a classroom. For him, a play was a living thing and it lived on a stage.

If you were one who was turned off at school by those compulsory English lessons, this week is your chance to look with fresh eyes and a new appreciation as Te Puke Repertory presents brief excerpts from a variety of Shakespeare’s works.

There’s tragedy and comedy. There are tears and laughter. You will see and hear well-known characters and be introduced to several minor ones.

Directing Shakespeare in Shorts is a lifelong fan of the bard, Owen Force, in his first major production in Te Puke.

Now a resident, Owen hails from the United States where he worked in several professional repertory companies, including in New York.

Owen is keen for others to share his passion, so wants to give you some tasters of his works, and introduce die-hard fans to plays they may not be familiar with. Accordingly, he is presenting excerpts from no fewer than 16 plays for your entertainment.

Each “short” is solemnly introduced by Zach Wylie, whose expressive, baritone narrative is reminiscent of great English actors of the past and thereby settles us into the mood of the evening’s entertainment.

From the famed Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet to the lesser-known Merry Wives of Windsor, from the superbly anguished sleepwalking declarations of Lady Macbeth (Colleen Pye) and the dynamic, impassioned monologue of Lady Constance (Nicole Petuha) at the death of her son in King John, to the comedic frolics of jester Launce (Scarlett Munro) and his dog in Two Gentlemen of Verona and the delightfully infatuated Jailer’s Daughter (Sarah Adlam) in The Two Noble Kinsmen, your hearts and minds will be engaged in many different ways.

Making her second appearance on stage is Angela Thomson, whose desire for justice as Anne in Richard III is touchingly conveyed. Every actor plays at least four roles, a demanding task for even the most seasoned actor, but especially for our newbies.

Te Puke Rep welcomes two new, young faces — Katie Thomson (sweet Isabella in Measure for Measure) and Scarlett Munro — who are making their debuts on our stage. It’s a brave thing to do, jumping in at the deep end by beginning with a speaking part. Well done, we hope to see you treading our boards in other shows.

• Shakespeare in Shorts is on at Litt Park Theatre, June 18-22. Tickets via www.eventspronto.co.nz/tprs