Following the success of Josh Turner winning Best Actor in last year’s regional event, a record number of 17 students signed up to tackle the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival in 2019.

Student directors Freddie Gormack-Smith and Ffion Brewer (under the guidance of Fiona Brownlie) set about choosing and putting together their entry with A Midsummer Night’s Dream being the final choice.

Act II, Scene I – the two royal fairies Oberon and Titania face off in a forest glade and, of course, the loveable rogue Puck along with various other fairies and pixies are all in attendance, sensing the tension and connection between their leaders.

The Hagley crew rehearsed during their own time and, though they didn’t place at the regionals, they did receive some great feedback from the judges including, “Love the fairy costume and use of movement to create a cohesive world” and “Good comprehension of the text - good understanding of character”.

2020 looks promising for another entry given the strong interest this year.