Tērā ngā kanikani whakatautau a te hunga rangatahi hei mea whakaaweawe i te tangata, kia hiki te tinana, kia piki te wairua, otirā kia taiāwhio ngā kare ā roto ki ngā take o nehe, o naianei hoki.

I tēnā, ka whakamihia te rōpū Rurutao o Te Wharekura o Mauao mō ngā mahi nui i tēnei tau.

Ngā kaiako me ngā tauira i whakapeto ngoi i ngā marama, i ngā wiki, i ngā rā, kia rite pai tō rātou tū ki runga i te papa tū rurutao ki Te Upoko o Te Ika.

Ki ngā mātua hoki i tō rātou kaha tautoko i a rātou tamariki.

Tū whitia te hopo, kia mairangatia te angitu!

Te Wharekura o Mauao is proud to acknowledge the tremendous success of this year's student entries in the SGCNZ University of Otago Sheila Winn National Shakespeare Festival 2023. Having won the Regional competition in April for both the 5 minute and the 15 minute scenes, our Tira Rurutao travelled to Pōneke over King's Birthday Weekend to compete in the top 48 Shakepeare troupes of Aotearoa secondary schools.

The group consisted of 11 performers: Kaitara Coker, Manahi Taoho, Pereki Turei, Taame Koria, Kataraina Morehu, Tohu Edwards, Ngahuia Waa, Hune Edwards, Oceanee Tukaki-Smith, Maika Jacobs, Te Awheo Fidow. Their kaiako were Whaea Jenny Brown and Whaea Mary Meikle.

All 11 students performed in the 15 minute scene from Hamlet on the Saturday, then Manahi and Taame performed their 5 minute student-directed comic scene from The Winter Tale on Sunday.

At the awards evening, our 15 minute Hamlet scene won the ’Best Understanding of the Text’ award, receiving a cup and book.

We also gained two prestigious individual awards:

- Manahi Kerr-Taoho: Most authentic performance (as Hamlet), winning a monetary award

- Kaitara Coker: Won the trophy and a book for ‘The Most Promising Actor’

Also accompanying the group were Toroa Whakakoko Matekohi Gates and Tutakangahau Teepa. Matekohi was selected in 2022 as a member of New Zealand's Young Shakespeare Company (YSC), one of 24 who will be travelling to London at the end of June for three weeks studying and performing at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

Our Tira Rurutao were able to tautoko her in the YSC performance in Wellington over the weekend. Tutakangahau was a member of YSC and travelled to London the year before also.

He mihi mutunga kore ki a Whaea Jenny, Whaea Mary, mei kore ake ko kōrua, kāore ā tātou tauira e eke ki te taumata o angitu i roto i tēnei tū momo Toi Whakaari. Tēnā rawa atu kōrua.

https://www.sgcnz.org.nz/.../2023/06/32NAwardsResults.pdf