Iona College, The Merry Wives of Windsor cast with director Lisa-Jane Easter.
Iona College, The Merry Wives of Windsor cast with director Lisa-Jane Easter.
Iona College and Havelock North High School students have been selected to represent Hawke's Bay at the Sheilah Winn University of Otago National Youth Shakespeare Festival in Wellington in June.
Iona College won its place at the festival for its 15-minute modern interpretation of The Merry Wives of Windsor, while Havelock North High School, was selected for its five-minute excerpt of The Tempest.
This is the seventh year in a row Iona College has been selected for the festival. The college has been involved in the Shakespeare festival since 2013 as a springboard to showcase student talent and an opportunity to explore innovative approaches to Shakespeare's work.
"The festival is such a rich learning opportunity where students from across the country can network with like-minded thespians, attend workshops with expert tutors and further develop their performance talent," Iona College performing arts department head Ruby Masom said.
Former director of performing arts and Merry Wives of Windsor director Lisa-Jane Easter said seeing youth from local secondary schools involved in Shakespeare and taking part in the iconic festival was a "joy to watch".
"It's always a pleasure to be involved with the Shakespeare festival. This year, the goal for the students was laughter. Find a piece that makes us and the audience laugh and through this process gain an understanding of Shakespeare's bawdy humour - that is The Merry Wives of Windsor!"
Havelock North High School drama teacher Jade Hanham says after a disrupted term due to Covid-19, it was amazing to see the qualities of perseverance and resilience displayed by all students involved in the event and who overcame many obstacles to create an array of wonderful performances.
Havelock North High School's five-minute excerpt of The Tempest. Photo / Supplied
"I am also especially grateful to the organiser of the event, Amy Edwards, and Iona College for providing the stunning Blyth Performing Arts Centre for the students to perform in, and the judges who must have had a tough job awarding prizes with the overall standard of work being so high," Hanham said.
The Merry Wives of Windsor production had Year 13 student Taygen Elliott playing Falstaff, who plans to make some quick money by wooing wealthy wives Mistress Ford, played by Imogen Hosford, and Mistress Page, played by Pippa Flay.
Unfortunately for Falstaff, he greatly underestimates the women, who join forces to plot against him.
Taygen was also involved in the 2021 festival, where she was selected to take part in a two-week course with the Young Shakespeare Company at the Globe Theatre in London. She plans to attend this in July.
"Iona's commitment to retaining Shakespeare as an essential co-curricular component begins early," Masom said.
"Every year, a group of intermediate-age girls perform Shakespeare in The Blyth at the college. It is this youthful introduction to the Bard that doubtless inspires those performers to go on to achieve such consistently high standards at both the regional and national levels of the Sheilah Winn festival. We are immensely proud of our students."
