Shaking up Shakespeare: The Ugly Shakespeare Company's at Saint Kentigern Girls' School

The Ugly Shakespeare Company's mission to make Shakespeare accessible and entertaining to students was on display when they brought their hilarious one-hour interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream, 'The Dream', to the Saint Kentigern Girls' School intermediate students. Despite the unexpected weather event cutting the workshop off, the girls still had an opportunity to interact with the performers, including one of their teachers, Ms Sharon Tuck, who performed as Duke Theseus. With three actors brilliantly portraying fifteen characters and modernized elements, such as King Oberon's character as a rapper, the performance was a hit with the young audience.

The show was more than just entertainment, however. It provided an opportunity for all students to experience the immediacy and interaction that live theatre offers and to engage with contemporary New Zealand theatre written by local contemporary playwrights. The Year 7 and 8 girls who had spent Term 1 delving into A Midsummer Night's Drama in Speech and Drama classes were particularly excited to see the play come to life. The Year 8's also will be using the performance as inspiration for devising their Speech NZ Advanced Junior Oral Assessments, which they are working towards. Along with the laughter and craziness, the show challenged our students' thinking and presented issues contextual to their lives. The Ugly Shakespeare Company proved once again that they are masters at shaking the fear out of Shakespeare and presenting problems relatable to their audience.