Wednesday 19 August 2026
On Wednesday 12 August, our Senior Drama students had the fantastic opportunity to attend a live theatre performance at ASB Waterfront Theatre in Auckland. We saw Auckland Theatre Company’s production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. We have also had two in-class workshops on the show from ATC’s teaching artists to support senior drama students in their preparation for their external exams.
Directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson, the production featured Mark Mitchinson as Macbeth and Sara Wiseman as Lady Macbeth. Rather than presenting the play as a traditional historical drama, the production created a world that was intentionally difficult to place within one particular time period. Kilby-Henson set the entire production in underground tunnels, with the soundscape suggesting a war taking place above ground. This created a powerful connection to the world we live in today and reflected the experiences of people currently living through conflict.
One of the most interesting choices was the casting of children as the three witches. Their presence created an eerie and unpredictable quality and gave our students plenty to discuss afterwards about directorial interpretation and how changing one familiar aspect of a play can completely alter an audience’s response.
The production also gave students the chance to observe the professional use of set, costume, lighting, sound and drama techniques. The dark underground setting created a world that became increasingly unstable as Macbeth’s journey progressed. The witches’ return towards the end of the production also brought the story full circle, reinforcing the cyclical nature of the play (and the cyclical nature of war).
For our Drama students, experiences like this are particularly valuable. While we can discuss acting choices, design concepts and directorial intentions in the classroom, seeing these ideas realised in a professional production is completely different.
Another lovely part of the experience was seeing one of Miss Parsons’ former students performing on stage and pursuing a career in theatre. It was a special full-circle moment and a great reminder for our current students that there are real opportunities beyond school to continue studying, creating and working in the performing arts.
Trips like this remind us that Drama isn’t simply something we study in the classroom, sometimes the best way to understand theatre is to take a seat in the audience and experience it for yourself.
Heading image - Auckland Theatre Company