Shakespeare is about to come alive in Tauranga, as the Bay of Plenty regional heat of the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival brings some of the bard's most memorable scenes to the stage.

High school students from across the Bay will descend on Mount Maunganui College tonight to show off their Shakespearean skills.

Among them will be students from Papamoa College, who have been rehearsing in their lunchtimes and after school to prepare for the competition.

They'll be performing the famous banquet scene from Macbeth, in which the titular character is disturbed by the ghost of his murdered friend.

Helping them to prepare, and directing the scene, is Drama teacher Dylan Frewin.

'There are about 18 students involved, who stay on stage most of the time. The way I've directed it is that the lords and ladies involved in the banquet scene represent Macbeth's collective guilt.”

He's pleased with the work his students have been doing, and believes they'll be competitive on the night.

'Rehearsals have been going really well. We've been tracking quite nicely.”

Year 11 student Erika Stols is playing Lady Macbeth, one of Shakespeare's most interesting female characters. She says it's been challenging, but fun.

'Mr Frewin has supported me so I feel confident and know what I'm doing,” she says.

'I love the language, I think it's really interesting. It's quite a task to learn, but I like understanding it.”

She took part in the competition last year, performing a five-minute scene from The Tempest. Although they didn't place, she says it was an amazing experience, and hopes people will be surprised by what the school has in store this time round.

'We're doing the scene in a way I don't think many people would expect. It's really different.”

Schools can enter either the five-minute student-directed scene, or a 15-minute extract directed by a teacher. The regional winners will compete in the national competition in Wellington later in the year.

Those interested in an evening of Shakespeare should head along to the Mount Maunganui College Hall at 7pm tonight. $5 entry for adults and students.