Vicky's new medical course: Shakespeare!

Theatre

University of Adelaide students continue to show their brilliance lies in more than just their academic pursuits.

First-year Medicine student Vicky Williams will take a break from her textbooks later this month to take on the role of stage manager for the Theatre Guild's production of William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by Alice Teasdale.

Despite being enrolled in a time-consuming degree like Medicine, Vicky is determined to continue with her theatre activities and balance her university life.

"Your experience at uni is what you make of it. By choosing to be involved in extra-curricular activities like theatre, I hope to get a more rounded education," Vicky said.

The talented student's foray into the world of theatre began in high school, and her experience was further enriched when she travelled overseas.

"As a Year 12 student, I studied drama and adapted the Peter Weir film Picnic at Hanging Rock for stage. I was also involved with the Scotch College Performing Art Academy," Vicky said.

After high school, Vicky travelled to Hungary as part of the GAP Australia program, taught English in a Hungarian school and co-directed two school plays despite not speaking Hungarian.

"I learnt a lot about non-verbal communication and acting from my experience in Hungary," Vicky said.

As the stage manager, Vicky is responsible for overseeing the backstage aspects of the play including cueing the actors, lighting, and sound operators, sourcing and maintaining the props, and ensuring that everything and everyone is in their rightful place and that the show runs smoothly each night.

"I enjoy the buzz of being in the theatre, and particularly like stage management because it facilitates the coming together of the creative elements of theatre," Vicky said.

The director of The Merry Wives of Windsor, and University of Adelaide Drama and English graduate, Alice Teasdale chose the play because of its great potential for humour.

"I was attracted to the idea of setting the play in contemporary Australia rather than Shakespeare's England, and finding the humour in that," Alice said.

"It is the only Shakespearean play that shows the lives of ordinary people, and is probably one of the funniest he ever wrote."

Alice assisted in the direction of the Theatre Guild's Twelfth Night last year. She started her own theatre company, 'Rough Magic', in 1997, and has since directed four Shakespeare plays. She is also a well known filmmaker and scriptwriter and is on the board on the Adelaide-based Media Resource Centre (MRC).

The Merry Wives of Windsor will be held at the Little Theatre at 7:30pm on 14, 17-21 and
24-28 May.

Tickets are $20/$15 and are available from the Theatre Guild on 8303 5999, online at www.adelaide.edu.au/theatreguild or from BASS on 131 246.

Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For further information, contact Melanie Hibberd at the Theatre Guild.

Story by Sukhmani Khorana