A Saint Kentigern College student has been named to attend the annual National Shakespeare Schools Production (NSSP) for 2017 in Wellington from October 1-9.
Students from all parts of Auckland will be attending, having been selected at Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand’s (SGCNZ) National and Auckland Regional University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festivals, held earlier this year.
The attendees are Stephanie Ramlose, Year 12, from Saint Kentigern College; Ethan Balderston-Tumaru from Kaipara College; Alexandra Briscoe from St Cuthbert’s College; Connor Charlesworth from Westlake Boys’ High School; Izzy Sheild from Westlake Girls’ High School; Scarlett Kean, Flynn Mehlhopt and Benjamin Stubbing from ACG Parnell College and Harry Nadler from Long Bay College.
Organisers said SGCNZ NSSP is a week-long theatre-intensive especially devised for Shakespearean devotees which enables students from all the 24 regions to learn more about the Bard and his works; familiarise themselves with the ins and outs of the theatre; hone their theatre and film composing and designing skills, and to gain valuable, life-long lessons. Among these skills are public speaking, teamwork, self-confidence, time-management and independence.
“Not only will they socialise with people from all across the country, but the friendships that they develop in this week will prove invaluable, as many NSSP students have gone on to attend University or Drama School with their production-mates,” organisers said.
Each year 48 students attend – 46 are actors selected from the SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, held regionally in mid-March to April, and nationally over the Queen’s Birthday Weekend. Each student is selected based on their performance in these festivals, with their development in their selected workshops, which are held over that National Festival weekend, being a contributing factor.
Audiences can expect to see plays that may be new to them as well as one of the classics as this year two of the three directors opted for some of the lesser known Shakespeare plays. Peter Hambleton will be directing The Comedy of Errors, Robin Payne, The Winter’s Tale, and Eleanor Bishop, The Taming of the Shrew.
This will be SGCNZ’s 22nd NSSP, which was established in 1996, five years after the organisation itself. The week is designed to widen the students’ knowledge of theatre, as well as encourage a more personal understanding and interpretation of the world in which they live. From this group of 48 students 24 will be picked to travel to Shakespeare’s Globe in London, an opportunity that has been available through SGCNZ since Sam Wanamaker reconstructed the theatre near its original 17th Century site on the River Thames in 1997.
SGCNZ NSSP 2017 will be held at Scots College in Strathmore Park and the performances will take place in Wellington in early October of this year. These are open to the public on both Saturday 7 October 2017 at 7.30pm and Sunday 8 October 2017 at 4.00pm. Further information is below.
