Spotlight on Student Voice at the College Play Series
This year’s Play Series brought together three senior year groups for three weeks of performances in the Dance Studios; a packed end of term programme that showcased the skill, voice and confidence of our young actors across a variety of genres and styles.
The Year 12 IB Theatre Arts students opened the series with a gripping performance of Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca. Their interpretation balanced stillness, tension, and powerful movement to bring the poetic Spanish drama to life with maturity and emotional depth. They were followed by the Year 12 NCEA class with a wildly entertaining take on Revenge of the Amazons, a Kiwi adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that blended Shakespeare with satire. With plenty of physical comedy, tongue-in-cheek costumes, and some strong classical delivery from the lovers and fairies, the contrast between the two plays made for a vibrant double bill on opening night.
The second week belonged to the Year 13 Drama students, who brought to the stage two separate casts of Cosi by Louis Nowra. Set in a mental institution in 1970s Australia, the dark comedy revolved around an unlikely theatre troupe’s attempt to stage Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte. The students embraced the play’s chaotic pace and layered humour with conviction, showing strong ensemble chemistry and a willingness to lean into the more absurd, heartfelt moments. For many of these students, it marked their final performance on a College stage. A fitting and memorable farewell.
The Year 11 classes wrapped up the Play Series with two ensemble works. Failure or Fortitude – The Female Edition was equal parts moving and funny, exploring the lives of women in factories and the perseverance required to challenge stereotypes. Tuesday was a genre-bending ensemble piece set in a universe on the brink of collapse. With themes of love, friendship and time-shifting realities, the cast tackled the abstract narrative with confidence and clarity.
The 2025 Play Series delivered a three week theatre marathon like no other, where Shakespeare found a sense of humour, Lorca met a violinist, and the Dance Studios became everything from a wedding chapel to a paper bag factory. The students took each script and made it unmistakably their own, proving that when it comes to drama, there’s no such thing as too much flair.
