New NZ Play Wins at International Festival
Rangi Ruru Girls’ School has won Best Youth Production and Runner-up Best Overall Production at the acclaimed Norfolk
Island Theatre Festival and the school’s Director of Theatre Arts, Robert Gilbert has for the sixth time been named Best
Director.
The group of Year 13 students performed ‘Breaking News’, a brand new play by award-winning New Zealand playwright, Angie
Farrow.
‘Breaking News’ explores the relationship between of self-image and media, and Robert Gilbert describes the play as a
perfect fit for the cast.
“The girls immediately identified with the central character,” said Mr Gilbert. “As an ensemble piece of physical
theatre, they really had to commit to a disciplined rehearsal regime. They put their hearts and souls into their roles
and that came across with their winning performance,” he said.
This is only the second time Rangi Ruru have competed at the festival. In 2013 a group of Year 12 students won Best
Production for their performance of ‘Bottom’s Tale’, an excerpt from William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
ENDS