11 December, 2024

Shakespeare works given different twists at PumpHouse

Outdoor flow… Meg Andrews, who plays Queen Elizabeth in a Shakespeare in the Park production of Richard III, has had to adapt to its late-1940s London setting

Shakespeare in the Park returns to the PumpHouse Theatre next month, but with a twist: both plays will have new interpretations, with Richard III set in 1940s gangland London and The Taming of the Shrew given an all-female cast.
It’s the first time in 29 years that Shoreside Theatre has moved away from its traditional approach, seeking to employ fresh storytelling methods.
Although the setting and costumes of Richard III, directed by Cath Boniface, have changed, the story of Richard of Gloucester using manipulation and deceit to become the King of England, and the traditional dialogue used, remain the same.
Actor Meg Andrews, who plays Queen Elizabeth, said the change in time and place works well, as the play’s key themes can translate into any setting.
“You can drop [Shakespeare’s] stories into any time period and it just works,” she said.
“If you’re looking at the plot of Richard III, it’s about a man who wants to be in power at all costs but shouldn’t be in power at all, and you just look at the people in power around the world and that’s a reflection of right now.”
Andrews, who is appearing in her fifth Shakespeare season, said she’s used to acting like 16th-century royalty, so figuring how to bring the physical elements of the performance into the less socially strict late 1940s London was a challenge.
She’s previously played Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Portia (The Merchant of Venice) and Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, who like Elizabeth are all strong characters but in different ways, she said.
“Elizabeth is one character that grows in her strength throughout the play, whereas other characters that I’ve played like Lady MacBeth or Titania, they are strong from the get-go.”
Portraying the character requires acting out a lot of grief, as Elizabeth loses many people close to her. Andrews has had to find different ways to show that grief, so it isn’t repetitive for the audience.
“I’ve realised there’s actually numerous ways to grieve. There’s a stillness sometimes, sometimes there’s rage, sometimes there is lightness and laughter, so I’m just trying to find a variation in all of those things.”
Originally from Palmerston North, Andrews moved to Auckland in 2012 to pursue acting, then worked as a freelance actor and director until she started as the PumpHouse’s marketing and box office manager five and a half years ago.

• Shakespeare in the Park is on at the PumpHouse Theatre’s outdoor amphitheatre from 18 January to 15 February 2025. Tickets at pumphouse.co.nz.

Please consider supporting The Rangitoto Observer by clicking here: