The regional finals of the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival were held this last week in Nelson/Motueka. As with previous years Nayland College students did exceptionally well and brought home a number of trophies and awards. Congratulations!

Four schools entered the competition: Nayland College, Waimea College, Garin College and Motueka High School, with no fewer than 15 scenes presented. Because of Covid restrictions we were not able to have all our performances on one day for an audience. The judges visited each school in turn as well as viewing video submissions.

Nayland College Drama Company presented seven scenes for the judges on Sunday 3 April in the PAC with 22 students performing. They were scenes from:

· The Merry Wives of Windsor with Thora Moffat, Matilda McMullen, Jayden Stoate, Finn Kirby-Pinguet and Sonita Chiv

· Hamlet with Molly Clarke and Emily Preston-Thomas (a Nelson Girls College student)

· Taming of the Shrew with Hana Wood, Emily Rodley, Rhiannon Sinclair, Annabel Batt, Rose Leighton and Emilia Thorn

· Othello with Molly Clarke, Freya Moffat and Isabel Lyttle

· Othello with Anushka Castaing and Tegan Jessop

· Much Ado about Nothing with Isabel Lyttle and Michael Vallance

· A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Ra Edmonds, Tiaki Sharp, Tamsyn Mitchem, Anushka Castaing, Tegan Jessop, Hailey Potts, Will Irvine, Isabel Lyttle, Michael Vallance.

All the students worked very hard, and their performances were of a very high standard.

Our hard work paid off with great success. 

Trophies awarded to Nayland College:

Country Players Award for Best Comedy

Nayland College – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Will Power Production Award for Best Understanding of the Text

Nayland College – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Lyndal Howley Music Award for Best Musical Content

Nayland College – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Waimea College Award for Best Tragedy

Nayland College – Hamlet

Rose Shepard Award for Best Actor

Nayland College - Molly Clarke

Rae Herd Award for Best Student Director – 15 Minute Scene

Nayland College - Anushka Castaing (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Management Garrick Theatre Award for Best Delivery of Lines

Nayland College Tiaki Sharp (Pyramus/Bottom)

Garin College Award for Most Imaginative Production

Nayland College – Othello (Emilia and Desdemona) – highly commended

Nelson Repertory Theatre Award for Best Production – 15 Minute Scene

Nayland College – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Wellington Nationals entry)

Reserve (No Trophy) – 5 Minute Scene

Nayland College – Othello

National Shakespeare Schools Production – Direct Entry

Nayland College – Molly Clarke

All the students who participated are winners as the competition was stiff. Congratulations to the winning students.

Wellington here we come!!!

Verity Davidson

Head of Drama