Dozens of rangatahi from across the country arrive in Dunedin this weekend for a nine-day immersive Shakespeare experience — Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) National Shakespeare Schools Production (NSSP).
The production is an opportunity for 46 young actors and student directors, chosen from 24 Regional and National SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festivals to come together from September 28 to October 6.
They would be joined in the intensive residential week, at Tolcarne Boarding Residence, by a winning student costumier and winning student composer, SGCNZ said in a statement.
The gathering will include talks, tours, workshops and rehearsals, before public performances on October 4, 6.30pm, and October 5, 7.30pm, at the Denise Walsh Auditorium at Logan Park High School.
The students will be split into three groups to work on 40 minutes of scenes from The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth, directed by Blaise Barham, Ben Ashby and Jessica Sutherland-Latton respectively.
The young thespians will also learn from expert local tutors in singing, dance, verse, "body permissions" (intimacy), Shakespeare’s England, yoga and mindfulness.
Several of the tutors will be from the University of Otago.
SGCNZ chief executive Dawn Sanders said, after 18 years, the partnership with the university was ending this year.
Next, 24 students will be chosen for the SGCNZ Young Shakespeare Company 2025, to travel to London to study.
