A group of high schoolers from around the country ran lines and paced the floor of a Wellington school last week, preparing for a Shakespeare showcase.
The Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand's national schools production brought together the best of the bunch from regional competitions for an eight-day programme of rehearsals and workshops.
This year's programme was hosted at St Patrick's College in Silverstream during the school holidays, so the group had the run of the place.
Last week on Thursday morning rehearsals were taking place in the hall, throughout various lobby spaces and hallways and a large open space off the dining room.
Dawn Sanders, who founded the organisation in 1991, explained the week of work led up to two nights.
"Two performances in different venues, because I like them to be made versatile, and they have that little time to be cast, learn their lines, get rehearsed and blocked, and then perform," she said.
"It's phenomenal, and they always achieve it."
This year the plays were The Tempest, Julius Caesar and As You Like It, directed by Jade Eriksen, Jacqueline Coats and David O'Donnell respectively.
The first show took place Friday night at Wellington High School, and the second on Saturday night at Victoria University.
There were 46 students chosen for the programme, whittled down from 4000 who had competed in regional or national competitions this year. They would be hoping to make enough of an impression to secure one of 24 spots on a trip to the Globe Theatre in London.
Why Shakespeare?
Shanna Moe, who had been cast as Rosalind in As You Like It, said the role was a privilege to play.
"She's quite a feisty and witty character - she's actually the biggest female role that Shakespeare ever wrote."
She said the programme was a great opportunity to work alongside experienced directors, and to learn from them.
Jonte Savage said his first glimpse into the world was through his sister, who did the same programme.
"I was like, 'Damn, she's going to Wellington, she's performing in whatever.' I didn't know what The Tempest was at the time," he laughed. "I joined in, and each year I learned more about Shakespeare and got more into it."
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Luella Kershaw explained her hometown in Wairarapa was not exactly overflowing with acting opportunities.
"I remember seeing this in year eight and I was like, 'That's cool, I want to act.' And I did it, and I loved it, went to nationals - I mean, I didn't do anything, I stood in the background and stomped my foot, but I was like, 'This is me, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.'"
Christie Blair said the daily workshops and rehearsals were "very tiring, but it is so worth it".
"I have never got an opportunity like this, ever."
It wasn't just an opportunity for the actors, with a composer and a costume designer in their midst, too.
This Tuesday, costume designer Casey Ferguson could be found near the kitchen, mixing up fake blood for Julius Caesar.
"In the scene where Caesar dies - spoiler alert - there's lots of stabbing and the director wanted some practical effects, so she asked me to make some blood," she said.
"It's got glucose syrup, cocoa powder, food dye, water and dishwashing liquid to make sure it comes out of the clothes we put it on."
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
She said such a high-intensity schedule meant friendships formed fast.
"All of these people were complete strangers to me for days, and now they're really close friends of mine. We had a couple of us staying up in our rooms talking and doing lines up until two in the morning last night."
Future uncertain as funding runs out
But Sanders explained that as popular as it was among students, the programme's future was uncertain.
Students each paid about $1000 to be here - only a third of the overall cost - and they were about to run out of the last of their government funding.
"This year we've been turned down by Creative New Zealand, by the Ministry of Youth Development, and the funding we did get from the Ministry of Education runs out at the end of this year."
"We have a $1.8 million turnover, so I have to raise about $700,000 to $800,000 a year."
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
She said Victoria University had stepped in to replace the University of Otago as a sponsor, with a lunch and a tour at the university, an opportunity for the students to watch a performance in Studio 77, an introduction to the university's theatre programme and alumni acting as volunteers throughout the week.
Professor Sarah Ross, head of school for English, film, theatre, media and communication and art History, said Shakespeare students often found their way into the university's arts degrees "and indeed into our university as a whole".
Sanders said she was "extremely grateful to Victoria University for having picked up the significant sponsorship".
But money was still tight. She said without their larger funders, they would not be able to survive.
With her students finding careers much further afield than just the arts, she was putting the call out to law firms, accountants, media companies, and of course the government, to come through with some funding to keep the stage lights on.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
