This year’s Middle School production was a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s well-loved play.
The cast was divided into three groups: the royals, the mechanicals and the fairies. Although we kept the original script, the modern costumes, mannerisms and sets added a fresh twist – most noticeably within the mechanicals.
I played Quince, leader of the mechanicals, a group of six amateur, part-time actors: Nick Bottom the weaver, Francis Flute the bellows-mender, Robin Starveling the tailor, Tom Snout the tinker and Snug the joiner. Despite the challenge of speaking Shakespearean English, we brought humour and energy to each scene. With the help of our visiting director, Ms Watt, we added small character details – accents, exclamations, and even unique ways of running, especially in the scene where Bottom appears with donkey ears. As the comic relief, we had great fun pushing every moment to be as entertaining as possible while trying not to break character. We were also encouraged to add our own ideas, such as a dance included during my final monologue, inspired by something we jokingly did in rehearsal.
Learning Shakespearean lines was challenging, especially the unusual word order. This was most apparent when performing monologues. Several of us, like Imi (Helena), found that understanding their character’s emotion helped make the language easier to deliver making it easier to decide on acting choices so the character was convincing.
The school plays are a wonderful opportunity to create friendships between year groups since you spend months with each other. I also think that the days before the show when everyone is together are the best times to create friendships, from dress rehearsals to closing night. Doing make-up together, laughing at each other’s costumes, doing your friends hair, singing along to music, these are all things that help you create friends in your year and beyond.
To anyone wishing to audition for other plays, my advice is: go for it because you never know what part you might get, go full out and immerse yourself within the character (it may feel like you’re going over the top but I promise you’re not), be enthusiastic, if the script is provided beforehand, arrive at the audition prepared – you do not have to know your lines off by heart but have some idea of how you will speak or how you will move. Finally, and I know it sounds a bit cliché, but enjoy yourself, as I believe the audience truly will notice if you enjoy the role you are playing.
