Women's sea voyage brought to stage

Playing a street worker may daunt some people but not Rotorua Girls' High School student Ngamoe Morgan.

A Te Arawa and Ngati Porou descendant, Ngamoe is playing the character, Eliza Lambert in the Fiona Farrell play Passengers being put on by Rotorua Girls High School and Rotorua Boys' High School students.

The story is about 19 women who endured a boat trip from England to New Zealand in the 1800s. Ngamoi's character is one of those women, a 14-year-old street worker, a role the Year-12 student found challenging but exciting.

"It's really fun and I'm really glad I got cast as this character because I'm the type of person who loves to get the audience involved ..."

The play premieres at the Rotorua Girls' High School hall tonight at 7pm. However, the cast and crew had their final dress rehearsal yesterday.

Ngamoe told the Rotorua Daily Post it was exciting getting into the costumes and doing the full rehearsal.

"It was kind of hard as a class to try and transform from the modern world where we have everything to a time when they had nothing."

Aleisha Mitchell, 17, said she really enjoyed taking part.

"The most interesting thing about it is they were real people and they all have a story to tell," she said.

Fellow actor Gabbi Jones, 14, said this was her first time in a school production. "I've found there are some similarities between myself and my character which makes it easier to act out," she added.

The play is being staged in partnership with Rotorua Boys' High School, with five male actors included in the cast.

Co-director and drama teacher Megan Figgest said the school held a sizeable production once every two years. She said they usually did musicals but had opted for a play this year.

Matinees and the 7pm evening shows begin today and run through to Friday.

Prices for matinees are $3, evening shows $8 for students, $12 adults.

Book via the school (07) 348 0156 or there are door sales.