John McGlashan College Shines at National Shakespeare Festival in Pōneke Wellington

Our college thespian group dazzled audiences and adjudicators alike with a bold and brilliant take on Shakespearean comedy - making them one of the top stand out performances during the Saturday afternoon session.

Representing Otago with pride and creativity, the McGlashan troupe performed The Taming of the Shrew — but with a twist. Their chosen scene, Act II, scene i, was reimagined in the vivid, playful style of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film. Bright costumes, bold character choices, and a clever reworking of Shakespearean tropes brought the Bard into the dreamhouse with a distinctly 21st-century flair. Their performance was extremely well received by the audience and they had students from different schools from all over the country coming to congratulate them on their brilliant performance, after they performed.

The standout moment came in the form of Glenn Ericsson’s unforgettable portrayal of Kate — inspired by “Weird Barbie” from the Barbie film. Glenn’s performance was both hilariously physical and deeply nuanced, embodying the chaos and charisma of Shakespeare’s famously fiery heroine through the offbeat lens of Barbie’s world. His talent did not go unrecognised, earning him the Outstanding Individual Comic Role Award, one of the most coveted honours for young performers in Shakespearean comedy.

The group also walked away with the Outstanding Presentation for a Comedy Award, celebrating our inventive direction, ensemble energy, and commitment to reimagining Shakespeare in a way that connected strongly with both the audience and the judges.

15 minute Shakespeare scene co-director and drama Teacher Ms Kimberley Fridd praised the students’ exceptional acting and characterisation:

“The level of talent and dedication these rangatahi brought to their performances was outstanding. They fully inhabited their characters with confidence, creativity, and comic precision — from bold physicality to nuanced delivery. Watching them transform Shakespeare’s roles into something so fresh and engaging was a true testament to their skill as young actors. Mr Morrison and I are so incredibly proud of them.”

Highlights from the trip also included:

• A welcome function at the Victoria University of Wellington campus

• Two visits to Te Papa Museum of New Zealand

• A Parliament tour of the Beehive and surrounding buildings

• Performing on the massive St James Theatre stage. The theatre has seating for up to 1560 people, and this grand theatre is one of the few remaining examples in New Zealand of this type of public building. Constructed of plastered brick and concrete the building is both inside and out ornately designed

• Attending the Kia Mau Festival - and seeing the performance, Waenga, with Hariata and Tamati Moriarty

• Hanging out with our other awesome Ōtepoti crew from Trinity Catholic College!

• Making new friends and building connections with other amazing performing arts kids from all over New Zealand

For the young actors involved, the Shakespeare Nationals experience was transformative — not just a trip to the capital, but a moment of shared creative triumph. Congratulations to all involved for putting McGlashan on the Shakespearean map in such memorable, magical (and pink-infused) style!

Ms Fridd and Mr Morrison are already brainstorming ahead of next year's entry - stay tuned. Huzzah!