The finals of the highly anticipated Canning Shakespeare Competition saw 10 students from the Peel region competing to win prizes up to $1000.
On July 1 at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Federal Member for Canning Andrew Hastie hosted the competition.
Students aged 15 to 17 years old were invited to submit a video performance of a monologue from one of the works of the famous bard, William Shakespeare.
Three Austin Cove Baptist College students, Paris Meeres, Jade Chilcott and Caiden Doyle won first, second and third place respectively.
Mr Hastie said the competition was about encouraging young people to engage with the work of William Shakespeare, as well as strengthening the local community.
“The arts are a great way to bring people together from all walks of life,” he said.
“William Shakespeare is one of the greatest storytellers of all time.
“His understanding of human experience and emotion is unmatched in the English language and I want our next generation of Australians to engage with this heritage, to experience it and internalise it.”
Students performed monologues from works including Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, As You Like It and Twelfth Night.
An expert from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts selected the top ten.
Their performances were judged by a panel before a live audience in the Fishtrap Theatre at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and the panel included professional actors, directors and educators with national and international experience.
