ESSD School of Speech and Drama

26/01/2026

Hi all! Pass on if you know students, kids, parents interested 🥰 Back to teaching soon! Individual slots and junior groups are full but there are places in our intermediate groups (monday afternoons).

There are also a couple of time slots free which we are looking at using for a senior drama group.

For this group there'll only be around 4 students so I can tailor the content to their specific interests within Drama. They can also - as a group - choose what goals they'd like to work towards in their lessons (e.g. TheatreFest, Sheilah Winn, competition entries, filmed reels etc). It would either be on a tuesday afternoon or friday afternoon 😊

Feel free to get in touch with questions or email for more details 🥰

25/11/2025

Congratulations to one of our students Ethan Then (pictured front right). Ethan came in this year to work on 2 skills - Giving a speech and taking part in an interview, when he was asked to apply for prefect positions at Trinity. He had previously been taking Communication Skills lessons with us for years. He worked extremely hard on these tasks and has been rewarded with the role of a Special Character Prefect for next year. Hard work and persistence pays off. Congratulations Ethan 👏

Congratulations to our new Head Student Team for 2026 who were announced at our final school assembly this afternoon.

Head: Leah Olsen and Jack Waterworth
Deputy Head: Akein Wickramagedara and Isla Kamo
Special Character: Matamatanonofa Taua (unavailable for the photo) and Ethan Then

Grateful thanks for the wonderful work of this year's Head Student Team who have walked the talk all year and been true to our college values.

21/11/2025

“Food, Glorious Food….!” 🍗🥘🧆

This shot captures the magic of Opera Otago’s recent production. Thanks to the genius work of Director Esther Smith ESSD School of Speech and Drama Esther Smith and Musical Director Cameron Monteath, our students really got to embody the character and mood of this glorious song from Oliver!

📸 Andrew Mackay, Kea Photos
📍’Potluck, an Operatic Feast’, Opera Otago, Nov 2025

20/11/2025

✨ We absolutely love working with the incredible Esther Smith — director of our upcoming show with Opera Otago! 🎭💫

Esther is pure magic with our tamariki 🌟— guiding, encouraging, and helping them grow in ways they never dreamed possible! Her creativity, kindness, and sparkle bring so much joy to every rehearsal. 💕

We’re so lucky to have such a gem 💎 in our Dunedin arts community — someone who lifts up everyone around her and makes the stage a brighter place! 🎶👏

Thank you, Esther — you’re one in a million! 🥰🌈✨

04/11/2025

The show Esther is currently directing is opening in 9 days time! Featuring the Dunedin Childrens Choir, a wonderful adult chorus of 10, MC Harriet Moir and 4 incredible soloists. Get your tickets here! Would love to see everybody in the audience 🥰🥰 https://tinyurl.com/zp5u3br9

✨ We absolutely love working with the incredible Esther Smith — director of our upcoming show with Opera Otago! 🎭💫

Esther is pure magic with our tamariki 🌟— guiding, encouraging, and helping them grow in ways they never dreamed possible! Her creativity, kindness, and sparkle bring so much joy to every rehearsal. 💕

We’re so lucky to have such a gem 💎 in our Dunedin arts community — someone who lifts up everyone around her and makes the stage a brighter place! 🎶👏

Thank you, Esther — you’re one in a million! 🥰🌈✨

22/10/2025

Introducing the young stars of Potluck - An Operatic Feast:

The Dunedin Children’s Choir 🎶😁

Opera Otago and the cast and crew are so thrilled to be working with such a talented group!

Here is a bit about the choir, led by Natasha Manowitz:

The Dunedin Children’s Choir was founded in early 2023 by Choral Director Natasha Manowitz and Pianist Susan Frame to provide a community-based choir for young singers in Dunedin. Soon after, Helen Rutherford joined the leadership team, and Cameron Monteath has recently come on board as one of the choir’s accompanists.
Since its formation, the choir has performed at a wide range of events, including Otago Sing Fest, the Midwinter Carnival, Wild Dunedin (with Suzy Cato), and The Otago Kids Sing, and has collaborated with groups such as the Flagstaff Community Choir and Distinctive Soundz. In July 2025, the Senior Choir performed with City Choir Dunedin in their production of Zimbe! to positive acclaim. In December 2024, the choir also presented a Christmas fundraiser concert at St Patrick’s Basilica, raising funds for local charities.

The Dunedin Children’s Choir includes two groups — the Junior Choir and the Senior Choir. In 2024, the Senior Choir competed at the World Choir Games, earning a Silver Diploma (Level 6).

Open to singers aged 7–15, the choir provides opportunities for young people to develop their voices, build confidence, and enjoy singing together in a supportive setting. The choir looks forward to collaborating with Opera Otago on this project.

🤩Get your tickets now to see these stars in action!🤩
www.tinyurl.com/potluckopera
🌭🍗🍫🍕

17/10/2025

Esther has been very busy behind the scenes working as the Director on Opera Otago's next production. A massive feast of musical, spoken and physical storytelling including 28 wonderful yojng people from Dunedin Children’s Choir - all of our favourite things! Two of our own Chiruka and Simms are even involved. In the meantime students are preparing for their assessments mid November ! A super busy and fulfilling term 🥰 How lucky we are..

🤩Meet our Director for Potluck - An Operatic Feast: Esther Smith!🤩

Esther is an actor, director, and performing arts coach from Ōtepoti Dunedin, and she’s delighted to be part of a production with such a vast range of ages, music and storytelling.

Esther has been part of numerous forms of the performing arts over the years- from Shakespeare and musical theatre, to writing and acting for screen as well as dance. Recent highlights include the Dunedin Summer Shakespeare company, the physical theatre ensemble of SBZ’s The Tempest, Skylark Cabaret and Lindsey Brown’s solo show Margot’s Bench at the 2024 Dunedin Fringe.

Her training journey includes learning from practitioners across Aotearoa and online from Australia. These include voice with Felicity Jurd and Timothy Douglas, acting with Cheryl Amos and Barbara Carey, and participation in TNZ’s Summer Directing Course with Lara Macgregor. She is currently working toward a DipGrad in Voice at the University of Otago alongside singing with Arlie McCormick.

Esther runs EsSD School of Speech and Drama and currently tutors these subjects at Columba College. Her favorite part of this work is directing performances in a way that builds connection between people and encourages fullness of expression. She is thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to do this on a larger scale with Potluck – An Operatic Feast.

Tickets on sale NOW, bring the family and enjoy Dunedin's talented performers - we promise it is going to be a tasty operatic feast! 🍇🍅
www.tinyurl.com/potluckopera

04/06/2025

DELIGHTED to share that ( at only 15years of age!) our student Emma has been offered direct entry into the Speech and Drama section of PACANZ Young Performer of the Year Awards for 2025 ✨️🎉🎊⭐️ Emma presented her 3 piece programme on 'Vulnerability In Relationships' at the recent Oamaru competitions. While another performer was offered the nomination, a representative of PACANZ recommended Emma for special entry. With an entry range of 15 - 21 years this is a huge testament to the calibre of Emma's work. Emma will now attend the national competition in October. So pleased for you Em!! Pip Walker Otago Girls' High School

We’re excited to share that Emma Walker (Year 10) has gained entry to the PACANZ National Young Performers Awards, to be held over Labour Weekend. Emma has qualified as a soloist in the Speech and Drama section, following strong results in her Trinity College exams and recognition through various speech and drama prizes over the years. Well done, Emma, and all the best for the next stage!

03/06/2025

Congratulations to our awesome srudents Vanessa Hayes , Alexi Dalton and Emma Walker for their performances at the Oamaru competitions this weekend! They did so so so well and we're so proud of their efforts and commitment. Vanessa brought back several 2nd places along with a VHC and HC while Emma, as well as going up against senior students in PACANZ nominee category managed a second in her Reading at Sight and VHC in improvisation. For Alexi, it was her very first competition and she won 2 HC's, a 2nd place and a VHC. The girls all had a heap of fun and learnt tonnes from the other entrants 🥰💗 A huge thank you to everyone involved in keeping these competitions up and running for these kids so they can have the opportunity. It is very much appreciated 🎭 Melanie Hayes Pip Walker Elizabeth Dalton

25/04/2025

Our small group lessons are filling up! We do, however, still have some spaces left. Let us know if you'd like more information! ❤️🤸‍♀️

Last term we completed a large module on improvisation (some students even took to the street in character for the South Dunedin Street Festival!) and in the second half of the term we focused on voice techniques with exercises to take home, alongside some visualisation for the acting students, and physicalisation of text.

We are looking forward to Term 2 starting next week!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/161aCoG5mP/

16/03/2025

Esther has been in the Dunedin Fringe Festival this week in a 10min comedy piece by NZ writer Lindsey Brown. Directed by Cheryl Amos we have had 2 very full houses and it has been reviewed as a "micro Fringe performance" that "packs a punch" by Theatrereview.

https://www.theatreview.org.nz/production/margots-bench-by-lindsey-brown/ -and-enjoyable-ten-minute-play-delights-fringe-goers

Final night tonight if you can make it! 5:30pm Knox Church. Matheson Room. Some tickets left at https://www.dunedinfringe.nz/events/margot-s-bench-by-lindsey-brown