Troupe Waihi is a professional theatre troupe operating out of Waihi College Drama Department. It boasts a floating membership of approximately 50 students under the direction of Waihi College Drama facilitator, Luke Devery.
Troupe Waihi offers students the chance
to experience a diverse range of skills that are unusual for secondary
school. They include: Stilt walking, Juggling, Puppetry, Balloon
Sculpture, Fire Performance, Masked Theatre, Acro-movement a
nd the wide
range of skills and technical abilities which are an integral part of
professional performer's toolbox.
From its origins in 2005 I like cheese, when they first performed at a multinational conferenceat the Auckland Town Hall, the troupe has performed at a range of events throughout the North Island.
These include:
Whangarei's Art beat and Diddily-i-Day Festivals, Waitakere City's Going West Story fest, Goldfield's 100 Years of Rail, Sir George Seymour's prize giving in Hamilton, DOC's Sea week 2008 at Fort Takapuna, and the recent opening celebration of Creative Tauranga's new premises.
One of the unique aspects of the Troupe Waihi is it professional status. The troupe is entirely funded by the Kohl generated from their performances which gives the performers great pride by proving that their creative efforts can produce a product which is worth paying for (a notion that is proved by the fact that every client they have has asked for their services again). Because this work is self-sufficient, the students involved do not pay to participate in any of the projects they have undertaken, nor have they had to seek hand outs to rely on other fundraising to support their work
Waihi College Drama Troupe
Quality performances from gifted students
