We have had some wonderful students in our department over the years. Some of them have careers in the Performing Arts and others have gone in a completely different direction, but one thing they have in common, they all loved Drama. On this page we celebrate them.
Jaime McDermott - Class of 2014  While I was at school I managed to get myself an agent and land my first role on the television show, 'Step Dave'; and during my last year I landed another small role on the new Outreageous Fortune prequel - 'Westside'. I believe drama at Springs helped me achieve this, as everyday it fuelled my love for the performing arts and my desire to never give it up. Right now I am taking a gap year as I work and prepare to audition for New Zealand's best acting schools. I am also doing some writing and working on some projects with the intention and hope of creating my own work instead of waiting for opportunities to come to me. Drama at Springs was definitely the highlight of my school days and holds some of my fondest memories. Sophie McIntosh - Class of 2013  The Performing Arts have always been a huge
part of my life and something I hope to one day turn into a career.
In my final year of ‘Springs’ I was lucky enough to land a role on the NZ soap opera ‘Shortland Street’. I spent a year and a half on the show and it was one of the best experiences of my life so far. I think that taking drama at school played a big part in my confidence as an actor and desire to really pursue it as a profession, despite its many challenges. I am currently studying at the University of Auckland while continuing with small acting jobs on the side in the lead up to hopefully spending ‘Pilot Season’ in LA next year. I am really grateful to the Western Springs Drama Department for the opportunity it gave me foster and explore my creative passions in an academic yet also very free setting. Daniel McBride - Class of 2011  The WSC drama department helped instil in me the love of the performing arts that led me to choose my current path as a recording and touring musician/composer. It gave me my first opportunity to sing on stage, at age 13 in the school musical, and allowed me to become comfortable as a performer in a wonderfully supportive teaching environment. The drama department was always such a welcoming and accepting place to be, and as a result I took every opportunity I could to engage with it, studying drama all through my time at Western Springs and taking part in every school production. The time that I spent there was such an important part of my formative years; I wouldn't be doing what I am now without it. Since leaving Western Springs I have been nominated for the Taite Prize for Music and been awarded the Critics' Choice Prize at the New Zealand Music Awards, as well as touring in Europe and New Zealand, but if it weren't for my years in the drama department at Springs to nurture my performative side I doubt I would even dare set foot on a stage today! I will be forever grateful for the time I had with the brilliant teachers and staff while studying drama at WSC. | Allanah Colley - Class of 2010  Taking Drama at school was first and foremost just a really fabulous part of my high school experience. I absolutely loved it and have very fond memories. Through Drama, I also gained the confidence to speak in front of my peers as well as complete strangers. I learnt the skills and gained the experience to combat my nervousness and deliver a performance without (too much) fear of being judged. This is the most important aspect that I still carry with me and use every day. I have been involved with a number of community organisations since leaving school such as the Auckland University Students Association, YWCA Auckland, Equal Justice Project and Auckland District Law Society where I have had to deliver speeches to a room full of people, without fainting. I have had the confidence and composure required for mooting, which is like mock court, succeeding in competitions such as the Red-Cross Asia Pacific International Humanitarian Law Moot. I have also had to sit in on meetings with lawyers in a work environment and not be afraid to voice my opinion. The public-speaking skills and self-confidence that Drama at Springs gave me has been vital to my success in these areas. Not to mention that Drama cemented my love for musicals that I just cannot help but sing along to show tunes when I cook dinner! Anthea Hill - Class of 2007  During my formative years at Springs, I was nurtured, guided and encouraged by some magnificent teachers (Barnaby James and Bruce DeGrut), an excellent department and amazing facilities. I was introduced to SGCNZ's University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, I dabbled in musicals, Caryl Churchill and Alan Bennett, I played around with Stanislavsky and went to town with the Melodrama module. I now realise how essential those years were in forming my career today. I was given unwavering support and encouragement from, not just Barnaby and Bruce, but the whole school - my love of drama was recognised, valued and developed. Western Springs College has an incredible array of resources and connections available for their drama students and I am constantly in awe of the talented and passionate students that keep popping out. Since leaving Springs in 2007 I've studied drama at UoA and The Actors' Program, travelled, worked, soul searched and found myself in some brilliant theatre productions and short films. Recently I played Helena in the Summer Shakespeare production of Midsummer Night's Dream, worked with an incredible cast on a sell-out season of, NZ play, Sister Anzac, and soon I will begin work on Auckland Theatre Company's production of Guys and Dolls. Life is beautiful, inspired and exciting, and I definitely have Western Springs College to thank for founding this lifelong, creative journey. |