From August 10th to 13th, more than 750 audience members of all ages were treated to the magical and crazy world of Midsummer Night's Dream - the major production for 2022.

With COVID being such a part of our lives for the past couple of years, we have been unable to mount a large-scale production since 2019. It is so important in the life of a College that the Performing Arts are focused on and celebrated as they are such a vital part of the fabric of our everyday lives. Students grow and change when they are touched by the camaraderie and the expressive nature of theatre, providing an experience and a memory which will last long past their school years. And this year's unique and fresh take on the well-known comedy, Midsummer Night’s Dream was no exception.

Our version focused on the crazy things we do for love and on the lengths we’ll go to when love is denied. It also looked at how a very restrictive society perhaps encourages the young people within it to seek alternatives to find their true passion.

This was the case with Hermia, whose father wouldn't let her marry the man of her choice, but instead insisted that she marry the person of his choice. The alternative, if she refused her father’s wishes, was death. So the couple ran away to the magical forest so that they could be together.

Of course, life was less restrictive in the forest, but there were arguments afoot here too between the Fairy King, Oberon and Titania, the Fairy Queen.

Chaos, magic, comedy and a clash of the worlds of the Forest and the Court ensued, caused by the mischievous Puck, ending only when reconciliation and connection were restored.

As well as a stellar cast of around 50 students from Year 9 to 13, we were also lucky to be able to reach out into our very talented and creative community with parent Candy Clark designing costumes, parent Cherie Livingstone as our set designer and ex-student, Anna Raukawa and Madi Wilson as our choreographers. We also had a large team of students and creative staff within College who supported the cast in terms of set, props and costume construction, backstage and in a technical theatre sense.

It really did take a whole village to mount this production and we are very proud of our whole parent, student and staff team in bringing this magical dream to the stage!

Claire Bubb and Alister Emerson - Midsummer Night's Dream Directors