Wherefore art thou Isabella?

Channel: North Shore’s Monthly Magazine

Editorial, Issue 91, September 2018

Kristin Head Girl Isabella Howarth has been granted direct entry to the Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ (SGCNZ) National Shakespeare Schools Production in October.

This year, Kristin students from Year 8 to Year 13 took the opportunity to prepare and perform scenes from a wide variety of Shakespeare’s works at the SGCNZ North Auckland Regional Festival of the University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival. This year attracted over 50 scenes from schools all over North Auckland.

At the prizegiving for the festival, we were all thrilled to learn that Isabella Howarth, who had performed as Queen Margaret in a scene from Richard III with Finlay Jackson (Richard) and Maddison Gaze (Lady Anne), had been chosen as the direct entrant to the SGCNZ National Shakespeare Schools Production in October. An honour to be individually singled out by Auckland director and judge Colin McColl as a key performer who shone on stage.

Only 24 students from across New Zealand are chosen for direct entry to the production, where they are joined by a further 22 students chosen from performers at the National Shakespeare Festival in June.  As a direct entry student, Isabella was invited to attend the national festival where she was able to participate in the workshops with some of the national representatives, as well as attending the performances of the Festival.

She is now preparing to attend a week-long intensive course in the upcoming October holidays, which is to be held in Dunedin at the University of Otago Campus.  She will be working in a programme of workshops and rehearsals, studying aspects of Shakespeare’s work, working with leading directors, and culminating in a performance of The Taming of the Shrew directed by Kim Morgan.

This is a phenomenal achievement by Isabella, and is testament to the work that she, Finlay and Maddie put into making their scene memorable. Well done Bella!

– Janelle Pitout, Curriculum Leader of Teaching and Learning Drama