Student-directed performance wins national recognition at Shakespeare Festival
Posted on June 26, 2026
Macleans College students earned national recognition at the SGCNZ Victoria University of Wellington National Shakespeare Festival, taking home the award for Outstanding Student-Directed Ensemble Work.
Their success capped off an outstanding weekend in Wellington, where they performed alongside some of New Zealand's most talented young Shakespearean actors.
Following their success at the Regional Shakespeare Festival in Term 1, Ella Hayter (Upham House), Kaesar Wu (Upham), Katherine Zuo (Upham), Sheridan Griffiths (Te Kanawa), Olivia Pan (Hillary), Mila Sutch (Hillary), Kenneth Gong (Kupe), Katie Kendall (Kupe) and Eva McNulty (Kupe) advanced to the national event.
Directed by Mila Sutch, the group presented an intense five-minute montage from Hamlet exploring the impact of male manipulation on the young Ophelia. Their interpretation impressed the judges and earned the award for Outstanding Student-Directed Ensemble Work.
The national event featured 48 groups from across New Zealand, showcasing a wide range of creative interpretations of Shakespeare's work, including a French-language scene from Henry V and a Pasifika adaptation of King Lear.
Alongside their stage performance, students participated in professional workshops, attended a production at Circa Theatre, and visited Te Papa Tongarewa's Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibition.
In a report following the festival, Katherine Zuo described the experience as a valuable opportunity for students to develop their performance skills while learning from other talented young actors from around New Zealand.
More than 300 students took part in the event, with only 24 chosen for the National Shakespeare Schools Production (NSSP), an intensive week-long residential programme led by some of New Zealand's leading Shakespearean directors.
Sheridan Griffiths was among those selected after impressing judges with her portrayal of Ophelia's descent into madness. The achievement is particularly notable as a Year 11 student. She will join Dani Gonzalez Castro (Mansfield), who secured a place in the NSSP following the Regional Shakespeare Festival earlier this year.
The success of both students highlights the strength of Macleans College’s performing arts programme and the talent of its young actors on the national stage.
The school extends its thanks to SGCNZ for organising the event and providing young performers from across New Zealand with a valuable and inspiring opportunity to develop their skills.
