Standing centre-stage at The Globe, looking from the groundlings up to the dark night sky as I spoke Shakespeare’s genius, was the most magical moment of my life to date. And what made it so was the years of dreams prior; the months of anticipation; the support of so many; the fast-flying two weeks of preparation; and the many people who had gone before me, in theatre and personally, whose shoulders I stand on and hearts I carry. After two and a half weeks in fellowship with fellow passionate actors, inspiring facilitators, and gifted directors, I truly feel my life is changed. This report will outline some activities, highlights and lessons from my time with the SGCNZ Young Shakespeare Company 2026.

I cannot begin this report without first thanking Dawn Sanders and Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand. This transforming experience would not exist without Dawn’s efforts and the company. She is a remarkable woman who deserves every praise for her hard work, and I am so thankful to her. In addition, I am equally grateful to Creative New Zealand, the Inspire Foundation, the Selwyn District Council, and friends and family who financially supported me. Not only was the release from financial stresses for this trip a blessing, but the encouragement that came with their investment was self-assuring and empowered me to strive for excellence. Thank you all.

The trip began with an intense 10 days in London. ‘Intense’ because we had solely this time to put together a performance of Much Ado About Nothing. Balancing rehearsals, workshops, and line-learning while being in London proved to be difficult, but achievable. It was satisfying to have such a short time to work on something yet perform as well as we did. I learned so much more than I ever could have anticipated in these three weeks. I am certain my approach to performance in general (and specifically in movement, stage combat, context, spacial awareness, and rhythm) is changed for the better. For this I must thank the wonderful practitioners (Dr Lydia Valentine, Dr Hanh Bui, Patrick Osborne, Maisie, Matt Harrison James, Scott Brooksbank, and Harry Waller), special guests (Rachel Hannah Clarke, Georgia-Mae Meyers, Rishi Rian, and Ken Rea), Globe staff (Lyse Marcelle, Charlie Withers, and Cynthia Vera), and my directors, Hal Chambers and Kate Webster. I was mightily surprised by and endlessly grateful for their patience and joy, and aspire to be like them all! I would say the following were the most impactful moments and lessons for me:

- I discovered that I have an immense fascination with Shakespeare’s genius. What shocked me in Scott’s workshop was that Shakespeare’s rhythm is so natural even though spoken poetically. This has helped solidify my desire to study Shakespeare in some form.- Harry commented, “Shakespeare is only worth doing if it’s relevant - so find something in the play that’s meaningful to you and bring it.” I thought this was an interesting concept, and a good encouragement to keep innovating and help others understand Shakespeare.

- I asked of Rachel, Georgia-Mae, and Rishi, “When did you start to feel successful and how do you define success?”, and I was struck by their mutual agreement in the question ‘What is success anyway?’ They agreed health, family, and joy were successes for them as much as having an acting job. Their answer helped me rethink what is important to me and how I can have acting and other things going on.

- Hal Chambers said in our first session, "Don’t act - do.” I was frustrated by this at first, as the past six months of my life have been dedicated to ‘acting’. However, I see the merit in his comment - to be a ‘masterful actor’, you must simply be.

- Perhaps my favourite piece of advice was from Ken Rea - Be generous. Too often actors are threatened by others talent and opportunities. I have certainly felt this. But I think the concept of being generous with knowledge, encouragement, and ideas is one that leads to a more beautiful result. Now I intend to ‘be generous’ in all I do.

My top three magical moments would be:

• As I mentioned before, being on the Globe stage, particularly during our performance. The weight of preparation and people’s investment made me perform with passion. Honestly, I felt like I was having an out of body experience - I was saying my lines, but really just taking in the moment and being present. I was proud that I was able to appreciate those moments in performance as much as I did, rather than just let them fly by.

• I was surprised by Londoners’ reactions to our waiatas, and I loved singing them for this reason. It was genuinely beautiful to represent New Zealand, and I felt so proud of our beautiful culture. I think if everyone sang a waiata for people overseas, they would have a new appreciation for Maori culture.

• Creating connections with people and having discoveries together was so wonderful. It was easy to ask questions and chat with the practitioners and directors, particularly Hal and Scott. There was one point where I had a question for Hal, and he ended up talking about Shakespeare’s intentions and wordplay in the lines. That was not only impactful to my performance but also gave me permission to ‘be a nerd’ and get excited for the answers to my questions. Then, in the verse workshop with Scott, my eyes genuinely nearly fell off my face. I was amazed by Scott’s knowledge, and he was so lovely to chat to after the workshop as well. I was also grateful for everyone’s immediate ‘yes’s when I asked if I could interview them for my upcoming podcast. I hope I can go ahead with the interviews and maintain these connections.

The hardest part of this trip was; saying goodbye to all the wonderful people as they came and went from our workshops, and then, even more so, the Young Shakespeare Company at the end. It is a particularly special thing to have spent such intense time with like minded people and to form such close bonds, and then to have 30 seconds to say good bye before rushing off to catch a bus at the airport. Bittersweetly I reminisce on this experience, because it would not have been so incredible without all the people who experienced it with me. People who I do not know when I will see again! But through this I have been taught the beauty of things that finish - YSC is now a fully formed pearl, real and sparkling, that I’ll hold in my mind everywhere I go.

Being on this trip has grown my gratitude for SGCNZ’s creation of this opportunity more. This experience has been life-changing, and I fully believe it must continue for others. My endless thanks go in particular to Dawn Sanders and Kerry Maher, as well as Juanita McClean, the Inspire Foundation, Creative New Zealand, the Selwyn District Council, and friends and family. Without their support, funding and hard work, I would not have gained these life changing experiences. The success of this trip is one I share with you all.

As I continue to act after YSC, I bring a different approach to my work. Theatre is not meant to fit into me - instead I can ask how I fit into it. Theatre is about the ensemble of humanity - thousands of years of life and stories. Standing centre-stage in a show does not make me greater than others or as a person; it means I, for a moment, have the honour of carrying the history of the world. Theatre sparks my passion, but I really want to do it so I can encourage others and help transform minds.