Three awards for 'Much Ado About Nothing'

A creative take on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing saw John Paul College picking up three top awards at the 2012 National Shakespeare Festival.

Performers from 47 schools met in Wellington at the weekend to present five-minute and 15-minute performances based on Shakespeare plays.

John Paul College head of drama Gabrielle Thurston said it was an outstanding accomplishment to pick up three awards, including the sought-after Assessors Special Award for creativity.

"We were absolutely thrilled. There is no first or second, so we were very pleased to get the Assessors Award.

"They said [our play] was creative but still fitted into the whole text and context of the play."

Ms Thurston said the weekend included a workshop for the students on the Friday, public performances on Saturday and Sunday and an award ceremony on Sunday night.

"I always enjoy watching us perform and what made it special was some of the ex-JPC students who are now living in Wellington came down to support them and clap."

Mrs Thurston said having a moving set, made up of people, worked in their favour with the judges awarding them an Outstanding Scenography Award and Best Use of Stage Space Award to cap their achievements.

John Paul College Year 13 student Emma Weir, who played Beatrice, said the atmosphere was electric. "The atmosphere is great. Everyone is really enthusiastic about Shakespeare down there."

Top actors at the festival will join a New Zealand group performing at London's Globe Theatre next year, with the chosen group to be announced within two weeks.

"It would be cool to get selected but I don't want to get my hopes up, there were some really awesome actors," Emma said.

Dawn Sanders, chief executive and founder of Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand, which sponsored the event, said it was very impressive to pick up three awards.

"They were up first on the Sunday, I wanted a strong team to go first and they did very well."