Tui Taiaroa - Smithies, Year 11, recently placed 2nd in the Shakespeare’s Globe Center New Zealand Shakespeare Costume Design Competition. 

This involved designing a costume for a character from any Shakespeare play. She had to sketch her design, describe why the design was appropriate for the character, why she chose the style, one page of research and development and a budget for materials up to $100, reasons for choice of fabrics and instructions on how the costumes should be constructed.

The four winning designs were constructed and modelled at the SGCNZ’s National University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival Award Ceremony in June, held at the Opera House in Wellington which Tui was invited to attend.

Tui chose Viola one of the twins from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola (who is disguised as a boy) falls in love with Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with the Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola, Countess Olivia falls in love with her thinking she is a man. Tui’s garment was cleverly able to be transformed from male to female during the play. She used an Austrian curtain style construction which the actress is able to manoeuvre up and down during the play.

Tui has recently been offered the position of Student Costumier at SGCNZ’s National Shakespeare Schools Production, 1-9 October 2017 in Wellington.

Congratulations Tui, we look forward to seeing what creations you are able to design in the future.