Toi Whakaari's creative team of acting, costume, technical and management students present two of Shakespeare's most popular plays, The Tempest and Macbeth.

The Shakespeare season is at Te Whaea: National Dance and Drama Centre from August 29 to September 6 2008. Toi Whakaari's creative team of acting, costume, technical and management students present two of Shakespeare's most popular plays, The Tempest and Macbeth.

The Shakespeare season is at Te Whaea: National Dance and Drama Centre from August 29 to September 6 2008.The Tempest 6.30pm, 29 Aug - 6 Sept 2008, (No Show 1 Sept) Te Whaea Theatre

Directed by acclaimed Australian director John Bolton, The Tempest brings together elements of tragedy, comedy and romance, in what is considered to be one of Shakespeare's greatest and final works.

"The Tempest is an elegant, incredibly mysterious play that requires enormous energy and commitment from its cast. We're creating The Tempest by devising, making offers and uncovering the work through negotiation - striving to make the work relevant to today and explore the play's themes of revenge, power and desire." - John Bolton

Macbeth: 7.00pm, 30 Aug - 6 Sept 2008, (No Show 1 Sept) Te Whaea Basement Theatre

This all-female production is directed by Toi Whakaari Associate Director and Head of Acting, Jonathon Hendry. Written in a political climate rocked by the planned terrorism of the Gunpowder Plot, Macbeth speaks to us today as a brilliant study of fear and paranoia.

"There are things in life we can't explain", says Hendry. "Where does evil spring from? Is it an external force or something more sinister? Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest and darkest tragedy. A play that can still shock as it speaks of the demons within us all. We're perfectly placed in the Basement Theatre space - it has a dark brooding bunker atmosphere that is magic."

Toi Whakaari Shakespeare Season
Te Whaea: National Dance and Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Rd Newtown, Wellington
Bookings: 04 381 9253 Cost: $15/$10 each performance
The Tempest: 29 Aug - 6 Sept, Mon-Sat 6.30pm Sun 4.00pm - Te Whaea Theatre
Macbeth: 30 Aug - 6 Sept, Mon-Sat 7.00pm Sun 4.30pm - Te Whaea Basement Theatre
(No Show 1 September )

16/08/08