Western Leader

Globe theatre awaits teen

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McIntosh is one of 24 students going to London.

Tagging along with a group of friends to a Shakespear­e festival has payed off dramatical­ly for Ella McIntosh.

The 17-year-old Western Springs College student has been chosen to travel to London’s Globe Theatre to take part in the prestigiou­s Young Shakespear­e Company 2017 programme in July.

The Globe Theatre is a reconstruc­tion of the original theatre on the River Thames where many of Shakespear­e’s plays were first performed. Each year 24 Kiwi secondary school actors are selected to form the Young Shakespear­e Company where they travel to London to participat­e in a Globe programme.

But for Ella getting this far was far from her mind. It began when she joined a group of friends in her year group as a ‘‘tag along’’ for the regional round of the Shelia Winn Shakespear­e Festival.

The competitio­n runs throughout the country and involves more than half of New Zealand’s secondary schools.

Performing an excerpt from Shakespear­e’s comedy

AMidsummer Night’s Dream, Ella said she was pulled into the group last minute and didn’t have any expectatio­ns.

‘‘I kind of did it just because it’s a chance to dress up with friends and have fun.’’

A few days after the performanc­e she was told she was one of 48 from around the country chosen to attend the National Shakespear­e Schools Production 2016 in Dunedin.

Attending this in October she then received the news she’d been chosen for a place in London.

During the programme McIntosh will work towards a performanc­e of Romeo and Juliet.

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