Year 8 Performance Evening Explores Shakespearean Worlds

The Girls’ School Year 8 Performance Evening brought a close to months of rehearsal, collaboration, and creativity, as students staged their own interpretations of ‘The Tempest’. The excerpts performed were built on last year’s study of Commedia dell’arte, narrowing in on a specific playwright who was deeply inspired by the style.

Earlier this year, students were inspired by the Ugly Shakespeare Company’s modern take on ‘The Tempest’, sparking ideas for reimagining the play’s characters, themes, and conflicts. In groups, the girls devised scenes that blended Shakespeare’s text with contemporary perspectives and their own creativity. The result was performances that balanced dramatic ability with skill in linking two theatre traditions.

The evening showed how well the students embraced collaboration and technique. Elements of Shakespearean drama, heightened language, tension, and ensemble work came alive with confidence and conviction. Each group added flair through physical theatre, inventive staging, or humour. Their willingness to take risks reflected the imagination developed in drama studies.

Beyond simply entertainment, the night held added meaning for students who opted to complete their Waiporoporo/Purple Oral Assessments. The supportive audience brought focus and energy that allowed those students to excel throughout their assessment.

The Year 8 Performance Evening was a thoroughly entertaining night of theatre. It also marked a point of growth for the students as they transitioned from Middle School performers into more confident and mature actors. Their creative interpretations of ‘The Tempest’ proved that Shakespeare’s themes of power, freedom, and transformation remain fertile ground for exploration, especially when approached with the bold imagination of Year 8.