Shakespeare with a Twist: Ugly Shakespeare Company Storms John McGlashan College

It was almost a full house in the school chapel as the Ugly Shakespeare company tackled everything from Romeo and Juliet to Hamlet - all at breakneck speed. The performance was attended by a wide range of students, including all boys from Year 7 to 10, Senior Drama students (Years 11–13), Year 13 English, and our Year 12 and 13 IB English classes.

The "abridged" format is famous for its irreverent, slapstick, and fast-paced style, making the works of William Shakespeare accessible and riotously funny for our younger students, while providing a clever, meta-theatrical layer for our senior English and Drama scholars to unpick.

This visit was particularly exciting as it fell during the second week of Ugly Shakespeare’s national schools tour. The troupe (Nick Dunbar, Kelly Hocking, and Greg Cooper) is currently trekking all across New Zealand, bringing their unique brand of "low-budget, high-octane" theatre to schools from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South. We were thrilled to be one of the early stops on their grueling but rewarding itinerary.

The day held a special significance for the college beyond the performance itself. One of the lead actors, Nick Dunbar, is a proud McGlashan Old Boy, having attended the college for his Year 7 and 8 years. The Dunbar name is well-known within our corridors, as Nick’s mother was a dedicated member of the McGlashan teaching staff for over 20 years.

The connections didn't stop there. I even enjoyed a trip down memory lane, having studied alongside Nick at Otago University’s Allen Hall Theatre. Having two former university classmates reunite to bring professional theatre back to the school is a wonderful testament to the enduring nature of the performing arts community at McGlashan and in Ōtepoti.

Following the whirlwind performance, our Senior Drama students were treated to an exclusive workshop led by Nick Dunbar. This was an invaluable opportunity for our Year 11, 12, and 13 performers to learn from a working professional. Nick shared insights into comedic timing, physical theatre, the logistics of performing Shakespeare, and helping the boys bridge the gap between classroom theory and the professional stage. Nick got to see the farce scenes the Year 12s and 13s are currently working on for their techniques achievement standards, and Nick provided useful side-coaching on elements of physical comedy, slapstick, and breaking the 4th wall.

The energy and expertise Nick brought to the workshop left our senior students inspired and, perhaps, a little exhausted from the physical demands of the "Ugly" style of acting!

We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Ugly Shakespeare Theatre Company for such a memorable day. For those interested in learning more about the company and their mission to make Shakespeare "ugly" (and awesome), you can visit their website at www.ugly.org.nz.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances...”