Billy Mccarthy – a huge year in the performing arts

Billy Mccarthy is a year 13 at Ngā Puna o Waiōrea, he is an amazing talent and has an admirable work ethic, both of which he shares across a wide range of activities.

Billy is one of the Kaihaka (performers) in the Ngā Puna o Waiōrea’s division one Kapa Haka rōpū.  In the last week of the term 1 our Ngā Puna o Waiōrea (NPoW) ākonga, kaiako, tutors and whānau were involved Polyfest 2023 Māori Stage Competition, which was held at the Due Drop Event Centre in Manukau.  With an extraordinary amount of practice, commitment and drive the Waiōrea placed 1st in division one – a huge achievement. Ka rawe!

While all the build up and long hours of practice were taking place for the PolyFest, Billy was also preparing to enter the prestigious Sheilah Winn Regional Shakespeare Festival. Here is what Matua Robert has to say…
Billy has been an outstanding member of the Drama class over the past four years. This year he played the lead role of Napoleon in the Year 13 production “Animal Farm” with confidence and panache.  He also participated in the Shakespeare Globe Centre of New Zealand Regional Shakespeare Festival at the end of term one, where he and Elly Mae Lawson were selected as the best 15 minute scene to represent Auckland West at the National ShakespeareFestival in Wellington.

Their stunning work as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth won them the following awards:

1. Best understanding of Sound and Silence
2. Two actors who showed the strongest and most truthful connection between them
3. Outstanding presentation of a tragedy
4. Outstanding individual tragedy role (Elly Mae Lawson)
5. Outstanding performer award (Billy)

I have been taking students to this event for 14 years and never has one scene picked up more than 3 awards. These are all highly significant awards and they obviously blew the judges away. All through our rehearsal process for the Festival in terms one and two Billy has successfully managed his other extracurricular activities (Kapa Haka in term one and Autaia in term two) as well as staying on top of his school work. He is an exemplary student who has a huge spirit of generosity along with an overabundance of humility. I am confident that whatever pathway Billy takes beyond school, we will be hearing about him! “Whāia te iti kahurangi. Ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei.” Ngā mihi Billy!

Robert Pollock HOD Drama 

Billy has also just completed another amazing performance – Autaia.  This is a vibrant night of powerful haka theatre and captivating performances by talented rangatahi from across Tāmaki Makaurau. Students from six different kura kaupapa Māori and high schools unleashed their powerful, creative expression on the Kiri Te Kanawa stage, breaking into the world of performing arts with their own original haka theatre performance pieces. Billy, alongside his cohorts  Nikau, Mia, Koromiko, Vavaki were selected by Waiōrea to run this year’s Autaia campaign. Billy not only wrote the script, but also directed and acted in the performance. 

Oh and just one more thing… Billy recently played a role in horror movie Evil Dead Rise, directed by Lee Cronin.  This is an IMBd production, filmed  in Auckland, with a current box office taking of over 100 million.   Watch this space, we will definitely be hearing more from Billy Mccarthy.