SGCNZ NATIONAL SHAKESPEARE SCHOOLS PRODUCTION 2025
Memorial Theatre, Victoria University, Wellington
27/09/2025 - 27/09/2025
Production Details
Based on plays by William Shakespeare
SGCNZ CEO: Dawn Sanders
Presented by Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ
Assassination, Love and a Tempest!
Welcome to SGCNZ’s NSSP 2025 performance – the culmination of a week of intensive workshops and rehearsals.
“Like an old tale which I will have matter to rehearse…” The Winter’s Tale V ii
The performances should be considered works-in-progress, with the process being more important than attempting to unrealistically achieve a brilliant, finished product in this short time.
Huge appreciation to the intensive work of our Directors:
Jacqueline Coats, Jade Eriksen, David O’Donnell
PERFORMANCES
Wellington High School Hall:
Friday 26 September, 7.00pm
VUW Memorial Theatre:
Saturday 27 September 7.30pm
THE TEMPEST
Synopsis:
The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s ‘romance’ plays where he experimented with time-gaps, exotic settings & the supernatural, weaving together elements of tragedy & comedy from earlier works.
Tensions exist in the play through themes of enslavement, authority & liberation; vengeance & forgiveness; ‘civilisation’ & ‘nature’. Prospero used to be the Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio overthrew him with the help of Alonso, King of Naples, casting him out to sea in a boat with his 3-year-old daughter Miranda. They landed on a magical island & took command of it & its inhabitants- the creature Caliban & a spirit called Ariel.
12 years later Alonso is on a ship sailing near to the island with his son Ferdinand, his brother Sebastian & Prospero’s brother Antonio. Prospero has developed magical powers & creates a storm, with the help of Ariel, to shipwreck them & have them wash up on the island.
The scenes we will perform tonight are mainly from Act 3 where the stakes are high. Miranda & Ferdinand romance, Caliban plots with two of Alonso’s servants Stephano & Trinculo to get rid of his master & Prospero seeks revenge on his enemies. We are working on an island in the aftermath of a storm, the natural & plastic mixed together as means of telling this story now in response to concerns of our time.
JULIUS CAESAR
Synopsis:
At the time of the writing of Julius Caesar in 1599, many thought that England was on the brink of civil war. Shakespeare’s exploration of the repercussions of civic violence and the thin line between loyalty and ambition has continued to resonate through the years, even more so in today’s world of unstable global conflicts and deep political party divisions.
The play opens with a street party as the citizens celebrate Caesar’s triumphant return defeating Pompey. Flavius berates them for switching their loyalty so quickly from their previous leader, while senators Cassius and Brutus worry that Caesar is becoming too much like a king.
That evening, Cassius and the other conspirators persuade Brutus to join their plan to assassinate Caesar for ‘s sake. Brutus refuses to explain his actions to his wife, Portia. Meanwhile, despite his wife Calpurnia’s warning that she has dreamed of his death, Caesar is convinced by a conspirator to go to the Senate. There, he is stabbed. Discovering his friend’s body, Antony pretends to cooperate with the conspirators but secretly plots revenge against them.
Brutus and Antony speak to the crowd at Caesar’s funeral. At first the crowd supports Brutus but when Antony shows them Caesar’s wounds and reads his will, the crowd turns against Brutus. The conspirators flee the city to gather forces to fight against Antony. During the ensuing civil conflict, Cassius, believing he is defeated, commits suicide. Brutus also takes his own life rather than be captured after their loss. As the dust settles, Antony commends Brutus, and returns to rule Rome with Octavius, Caesar’s heir.
AS YOU LIKE IT
Synopsis:
Rosalind, the feisty protagonist of As You Like It, is the largest female character Shakespeare ever wrote. These scenes focus on Rosalind’s journey through the play.
Rosalind lives at Duke Frederick’s court with her cousin and best friend Celia. The malicious Frederick has usurped his brother Duke Senior (Rosalind’s father), who lives in exile with his loyal supporters in the Forest of Arden. Rosalind falls in love with a young man Orlando after he wins a wrestling match, but Duke Frederick banishes Rosalind and she flees into the forest with Celia.
To protect themselves from harm they disguise themselves – Rosalind as a young man (Ganymede), and Celia as a shepherdess (Aliena). Orlando has also incurred the wrath of Duke Frederick and escapes into the forest, where he is welcomed by Duke Senior. Duke Frederick threatens Orlando’s brother Oliver, who is sent to search for Orlando and bring him back.
After finding Orlando has stuck love letters to Rosalind on the forest trees, Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise) offers to coach him in the art of love. Finally, Rosalind reveals her true self and Duke Senior blesses her marriage to Orlando, while Celia finds romance with his brother Oliver.
THE TEMPEST
Director: Jade Eriksen
Student Costumier: Casey Ferguson
Student Composer: Stanley Pettengill
CAST:
Prospero, rightful Duke of Milan:
Prospero #1: Rain Denyer
Prospero #2: Sofia Ching
Ariel, a spirit serving Prospero:
Ariel #1: Hannah Gourlay
Ariel #2: Ed Perkins
Ferdinand, Alonso's son:
Ferdinand #1: Deacon Kyan-Wilde
Ferdinand #2: Parker Anderson
Miranda, Prospero's daughter:
Miranda #1: Madeline Park
Miranda #2: Abby Horwood
Stephano, Alonso's butler: Loki Le-Grice
Trinculo, Alonso's jester: Mason McClelland
Caliban, Prospero's slave: Aspen Gooch
Gonzalo, an elderly Chumko: Theo McMenamin
Alonso, King of Naples: Alizae Kaprice Auvae
Sebastian, Alonso's brother: Noah Hewlett-Coffey
Antonio, Prospero's brother, the usurping Duke of Milan: Sunny O’Neil
JULIUS CAESAR
Director: Jacqueline Coats
Student Costumier: Casey Ferguson
Student Composer: Stanley Pettengill
Student Fight Choreographer: Florence Smith
CAST:
Portia/Citizen/Dardanius: Asher Barrs
Marcus Brutus 4/Citizen/Soldier: Benjamin Higgins
Marcus Brutus 1/Citizen/Soldier: Charlie Power
Marcus Brutus 2/Citizen/Soldier: Diana Han
Julius Caesar 1/Citizen/Ghost of Caesar/Clitus: Ethan Shaw-Wood
Julius Caesar 2/Octavius Caesar/Citizen: Eva Rose Dixon
Casius Cassius 3/Citizen: Florence Smith
Trebonius/Citizen/Strato: Georgia Lee
Calpurnia/Metellus Cimber/Servant to Octavius/Messala: Grace Thomson
Mark Antony 1/Citizen/Soldier: Isaac Fox
Casius Cassius 1/Citizen/Soldier: Jay Lane
Casius Cassius 2/Flavius/Lucius: Kuini Campbell Bahar
Marcus Brutus 3/Pinadrus/Citizen: Nate Woods
Mark Antony 2/Soothsayer: Purity Rimaha
Casca/Titinius/Citizen: Summer de Gouviea-Rennie
AS YOU LIKE IT
Director: David O’Donnell
Student Costumier: Casey Ferguson
Student Composer: Stanley Pettengill
CAST in order of appearance:
Rosalind 1: Priya Bartlett
Rosalind 2: Florence Steer
Rosalind 3: Kaprice Mita
Rosalind 4: Shanna Moe
Rosalind 5: Evelyn Winter
Rosalind 6: Charlotte Hardiman
Celia 1: Maia-Sophia Bealing
Celia 2: Meadow Stewart
Celia 3: Luella Kershaw
Celia 4: Katie Walker
Orlando 1: Harrison Roberts-Brake
Orlando 2: Dani Gonzalez Castro
Orlando 3/Lord: Christie Blair
Orlando 4/ Duke Senior: Jonte Savage
Orlando 5: Tohu Te Rangimarie Edwards
Orlando 6/ Duke Frederick: Michael Ross-Harding
SONGS
Friends, Forget the Cares & Non Nobis Domine
Taught by: Barbara Paterson
Rehearsed by: Purity Rimaha
Performed by: Full Cast
Waiata ~ Nei rā te Kaupapa
Taught & rehearsed by: Tohu Edwards
Performed by: Full Company
Haka ~ Ka Mate
Composed by: Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha
Taught & rehearsed by: Tohu Edwards
Performed by: Full Company
Theatre , Youth ,
A taonga of immense value to all of Aotearoa. Long may it live!
Review by John Smythe 29th Sep 2025
This year, some 4,000 high school students participated in the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) Regional and National Shakespeare Festivals. Of those, 48 students were chosen to become immersed in the SGCNZ National Shakespeare Schools Production (NSSP), supported by Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington.
Facilitated by Dawn Sanders ONZM QSM, SGCNZ’s treasured CEO, six Workshop Tutors, three Directors and a number of Volunteers have treated 46 actors, a Costumier and a Composer (winners of two allied arts competitions) to a nine-day residential intensive at St Patrick’s College, Silverstream, culminating in two public performances of three 40-minute distilled extractions from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Julius Caesar and As You Like It.
I attend the second of two presentations. It ends with the full company singing three very different songs (‘Dynamite’, ‘Friends, Forget the Cares’ and ‘Non Nobis Domine’), and a waiata (‘Nei rā te Kaupapa’) then performing a rousing haka: ‘Ka Mate’. The individual skills and collective kotahitanga they bring to each item clearly testify to the value of their intensive mahi. That in itself feel like a week’s work but they have also been immersed in a wealth of talks, tours and workshops – ‘Dance & Storytelling’, ‘Intimacy Coordination and Choreography Foundation’ (body permissions), ‘Verse Speaks’, ‘Singing for Shakespeare’, ‘Release & Play’ and ‘Slaps, naps, kicks and punches’ (stage combat) – plus rehearsals for the plays.
As I understand it, they only got their casting and scripts on the fourth day. There were only four half-days of rehearsal before the first performance (at Wellington High School Hall) yet somehow, somewhere amid all that activity, they managed to learn their lines! While there is a lot of role-sharing, everyone has sizeable chunks of Shakespearean text to get their heads and tongues around. And yes, at the second performance (VUW Memorial Theatre), a couple of prompts are needed. Yet everyone has a clear understanding of what they are saying and why, the stories they are telling, and their roles and relationships within them. All play their parts with generosity and confidence. The team spirit is palpable.
I find myself comparing this outcome to the Finishing Schools (aka, Charm Schools – they still exist in NZ), Military Training and Boot Camps some factions believe are the best way to ensure school leavers become positive contributors to society … This model surely beats them all. It offers sure and certain proof that the Arts – the collaborative arts in particular – are essential components of a healthily functioning society (therefore: turn STEM education into STEAM). SGCNZ has been doing this for 34 years and thousands of their alumni (153,500 to date) – and those who live and work with them – can attest to its lasting value.
But back to the potted plays. (Click ‘Production Details’ above to see the full credits.)
The Tempest, directed by Jade Eriksen, has a mesmerising start, using a wet finger circling the rim of a crystal goblet, and intermittent bird song, to transport us to the supernatural realm of the island inhabited for the last 12 years by Prospero (x2), Ariel (x2), Miranda (x2) and Caliban, and the survivors of a tempest-induced shipwreck: Ferdinand (x2), Stephano, Trinculo, Gonzalo, Alonso, Sebastian and Prospero’s brother Antonio who usurped him to become Duke of Milan. The languid pace of the long-term inhabitants is offset with the drunken antics of the newcomers as Caliban and Ariel seek legitimacy while Miranda and Ferdinand discover each other. “Marvellous sweet music” is also created by blowing into beer bottles. Magic indeed.
If we thought populist politics enabled by modern media was a recent phenomenon, the excerpts from Julius Caesar, directed by Jacqueline Coats, remind us that the general populace has been swayed by skilled orators for millennia. Julius Caesar (x2) is super popular but the conspirators – led by Cassius (x3), Brutus (x4) – convince each other their emperor is corrupt. Despite the warnings of the Soothsayer, heeded by his wife, Calpurnia, Caesar goes to the Capitol on the Ides of March and is assassinated. Brutus sways the mob it was necessary by accusing Caesar of overweening ambition. They chant “Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!” until Mark Antony (2) reminds them of the great things Caesar has done for them, even in death, via his will. We are left to work out where ‘truth’ lies in the plethora of platitudes spouted by the protagonists and antagonists. ’Twas ever thus.
All good festivals finish with a comedy and As You Like It, directed by David O’Donnell, fills that bill splendidly. This version traces Rosalind and Celia’s journey from the court of Duke Frederick to the Forest of Arden, where they adopt male disguises as ‘Ganymede’ and ‘Aliena’ respectively. The cast list boasts 6 Rosalinds, 4 Celias and 6 Orlandos, three of whom double as a Lord, Duke Senior and Duke Frederick (father of Celia and usurper of Duke Senior). We are not, however, deprived of the wrestling match that’s the catalyst for Orlando falling in love with Rosalind. Charles the wrestler is a stuffed-sack effigy with a cardboard head – much beloved by the students from the first two plays.
Sometimes all the Rosalinds and Celias cluster as a unified body, with one designated to speak the speeches. Otherwise, cast members become the forest by creating bird and insect sound effects, and by holding the foliage upon which Orlando’s pining love poems to ‘Rosaline’ are posted. With no Jaques there to deliver the famous “All the world’s a stage” monologue, it’s passed among the whole ensemble. Likewise, after all the fun of ‘Ganymede’ teaching Orlando how to woo Rosalind, all the women share the epilogue.
It would be inappropriate for me to single out actors for special praise, given the nature and purpose of this exercise. Suffice to say, there will come a time when some, like many before them, will rise to prominence in the performing arts – while others will take the skills and values they have developed here into other professions and occupations. All the world is indeed a stage and no matter what roles they take on in the future, this experience will benefit them and everyone they ‘play’ with.
The Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand initiative is a taonga of immense value to all of Aotearoa. Long may it live.
Photos by Brian Scurfield – Memory of Light Photography
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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