Hero photograph
 
Photo by Andrea Cosgrove

Senior Performance

Katie Beer/Joanne Clark —

To days of inspiration. Making something out of nothing. The need to express.To communicate. To going against the grain. To days of inspiration. La vie Bohème! Rent

Term 1- Scenes from Niu Sila and Bare

“Māori, European, Pacific Islander and Asian ethnicities all come together to form our culturally diverse society in New Zealand. Although our founding cultures are Māori and European, over the past few decades immigrants have bought a wide range of cuisines, languages and customs to our country, as well as American and global culture being observed everywhere from cell phones to streetwear. Therefore, from having such a multi-cultured nation, the way Kiwis speak and act is like nowhere else in the world as it truly is a combination of all of our cultures.” Shardey

The two NCEA drama classes studied how our theatre reflects New Zealand society and performed scenes from two plays Bare and Niu Sila. These were very challenging as they required students to create multiple roles, learn a lot of lines, work together as an ensemble and use physical theatre conventions to create the world of the play. It was a sink or swim challenge and everyone learned a tremendous amount from the experience.

Term 2 - Fundraising concert

This years prefect team wanted to create a performance event to raise money for our Muslim community that were effected by the March 15th shootings. They approached me with an idea for the event and then they put together a show. The show featured many of our senior musicians, Voices with Soul, and some wonderful staff performances. It was an amazing evening that not only showcased our musical talents but was also an incredible show of love, acceptance, and community spirit.

We raised over $800 for the families affected. This event showed true Hornby spirit and it was a privilege to be a part of it.

Musical Theatre Showcase

At the end of Term 2 we had an incredibly successful musical theatre showcase. This is an evening that showcases our senior music and drama students in the genre of musical theatre.

The shared range of styles and skills demonstrated is evidence of the depth of talent we have. Ensemble pieces: Little Shop of Horrors, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mean Girls, Rent.

This particular genre of performing arts is hugely demanding, it requires skill and confidence which really pushes our performers. This is also an important assessment evening for NCEA so stakes and pressures were high! The evening was a wonderful success with many of our students gaining excellence. We also had a very supportive audience who gave our performers the energy they needed. We would like to thank everyone that came to support this event.

Term 3 - Musical Performance Showcase

Year 13 musicians performed in their final showcase as part of their Level 3 Solo Performance standard. This term they decided to present their work as a cabaret. With an intimate audience of whānau and staff, it was a really wonderful evening celebrating the talents and the hard work of our senior musicians.

I am so proud of this special group, we have had so many wonderful performance experiences together and I cannot imagine school without them next year. 

Thank you to everyone in our community that has supported all of our performances this year, it sure has been a spectacular year of performance adventures!

STAGE CREW: Arts events went smoothly supported by Stephen and Stuart (AV technicians) and with the help from 10Drama students, who had been learning about production roles with set moving, cable wrangling, cleaning the stage, and rigging lights. Special thanks to Molly Noven - official stage manager, who not only managed our events but also that of visiting groups. She spent many hours rigging lights, packing in and out, patiently dealing with mics, batteries and actors crisis and is always calm.

Creative Excellence in Performing Arts

We love seeing our performers go off into the big wide world and carry on pursuing their passions. Haydon Dickie (Deputy Head Boy 2017) successfully auditioned and gained a position in The Court Theatre Youth Company! We went to see him in his Court Theatre debut where he performed in the gritty ‘Boudica’.

Jay Baltazar (Class of 2017) auditioned and secured a role in the Showbiz Christchurch production of Miss Saigon. Jay was our first recipient of the ‘Creative Excellence’ award. We headed to the Theatre Royal in October to see Jay in his debut performance.

We are immensely proud of Haydon and Jay and love to support them on their creative journeys.