Wellington Girls’ College has three groups scheduled to perform in the 33rd annual SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival. They will be taking the stage at the Wellington regional competition and performing five minute student-directed scenes.

The first group will be performing Act One, Scene Three of The Tempest. Lauren Taylor (Yr 12) will both direct and act as Prospero, while Lily Peart (Yr 10) and Lila Carruthers (Yr 10) perform as Miranda and Ferdinand. The group’s interpretation of the scene shows Miranda and Ferdinand as puppets controlled by Prospero, who is “pulling the love strings” to bring the two of them together as part of his own quest for power. Lauren has been thinking about and planning the scene since 2022, when her entire group came down with Covid and were unable to perform. Her preparation and vision have been evident in rehearsals and all three actors are embracing the concepts of manipulation in a way that is sure to result in a fantastic and intriguing performance.

Hritvi Joshi (Yr 11) will be directing WGC’s second offering, which will be from Act One, Scene One of Much Ado About Nothing. Hritvi will play Don(na) Pedro, with Evie Wilson (Yr 10) as Leonato, Antoinette Willis (Yr 10) as Benedick and Samali Arachchige (Yr 11) as both Beatrice and Claudio. They will play the scene in modern dress and are enjoying the comedy aspect while focusing on “ways to tell the story beyond words” such as facial expressions and blocking. Hritvi chose the scene after studying the play in English last year, and the group has great chemistry, along with an excellent grasp of the humour that is sure to delight the audience.

WGC’s third group performance will set a slightly different mood, being the murder of Clarence from Act One, Scene Four of Richard III. Trelise Neal (Yr 10) will play Clarence, with Iris Brooks (Yr 10) as First Murderer and Milly Smith (Yr 10) as Second Murderer. This group is self-directed and their performance will explore the dichotomy between the tragedy of Clarence’s demise and the comedic wordplay of the murderers’ lines, something that all three actors are really enjoying in a way that will shine through in their performances.

The festival will run over three nights at the Wellington East Girls’ College hall and WGC’s groups will all be performing on the first evening, April 9th. Tickets are available and can be purchased online or at the door. We encourage everyone interested in theatre to go along and watch. It is sure to be a wonderful evening!