College students in Shakespeare spotlight

30 Mar 2021

First-time College student director Ciaran Huntley and student actors Henry Briscoe and Josh Jolly have been recognised at the regional Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition.

Echoes of Shakespeare’s iambic metre reverberated around the halls of the Old Boys’ Theatre and the Green Room throughout Term 1 as Year 12 student Ciaran directed a highly original rendition of Act I, Scene ii of As You Like It. Better known as “The wrestling scene”, the high art of Elizabethan Drama collided with the physical jeopardy of professional wrestling in this spirited interpretation.

Ciaran ably managed all aspects of development and performance, including corralling his “merry band of players” from Years 10, 11 and 12. The scene was recognised by the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition judges for its effective use of audience interaction.

Actors Henry and Josh also impressed the judges in their roles while collaborating with a St Margaret’s College student performing a scene from Macbeth. That scene won its competition category. The boys will now perform at the national competition in Wellington in late May.