DRAMA
ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE... ...FROM DARGAVILLE TO AYR Following on from a very successful year, over 100 students in 20 plays entered the New Zealand Theatre Federation One Act Play Festival. Five groups progressed to the regionals in Dargaville and Hang directed by Sarah Spicer won ‘Best Overall Production’ and ‘Best Youth Production’. The girls also won top acting awards: Anisha de Silva as ‘Best Actor’ for the second year running, Natasha Mori the ‘Excellence in Acting’ award and Hannah Flacks for acting in three plays. In the National TheatreFest final at Toi Whakaari Drama School in Wellington, the girls wowed the audience with their piece Hang, which was praised by adjudicator Jonathan Henry for its rich complexity and vocal dexterity. Anisha de Silva scooped the top acting prize again in the finals, being awarded the ‘Jannat Aitichson Award for distinctive talent 2019’. This is the first time that an actor has won the award twice and Anisha has managed this in consecutive years. Huge congratulations to the girls and thanks to all the parents and teachers who supported them on our journey. Sarah Spicer, with the support of Merrin Fagan and Stephen Butterworth, wrote and directed a bilingual play called Ahakoa he iti he pounamu (Although it is small it is a treasure). This play was 50
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chosen to be part of the prestigious International Ayr Theatre Festival in Scotland in July. Highly praised here in New Zealand, the international reaction was just as strong, and the girls did a questions and answers forum after the performance. The play highlighted the diversity of our community and our hopes for the future of New Zealand. It included a staggering 20 languages and extensive use of Te Reo Ma-ori.
Dramatic Success Above: Anisha de Silva with Theatre New Zealand committee members Ewen Coleman, Steven Arnold and Bryan Aitken. Below: Ahakoa he iti he pounamu being performed at the Ayr Theatre Festival.
