Rapanui- the song of stone
Rapanui- the song of stone
Written & performed by
Lisa Allan
BATS Theatre, Wellington
18 - 21 Feb, 2017
at 9.30pm
Tickets $18 full / $14 concession / $12 Fringe
addict
Theatre carved out on
Easter Island
Rolling its way to the NZ Fringe
this month is a new theatre show from intrepid theatre
creator, Lisa Allan. In 2016, Allan spent five weeks on Rapa
Nui / Easter Island crafting the script for her one-woman
show, Rapanui- the song of stone. She lived in a tent
pitched near the ocean, cycled through torrential rain,
chatted to locals, ate large chunks of cheese, joined
Rapanui dancers on stage and spent time with the moai- large
stone statues.
Stone is old. It carries
within it the voices of the past.
Rapanui- the song of stone is a
tale that blends the imaginary with truth. A child from a
far-off planet comes to Earth. A young woman leads her tribe
across oceans. A healer connects with ancestors, trapped in
time.
We are stone's grandchildren, here to gather at its feet.
There are two places in the world that have the name Rapanui or Rapa Nui. The second is right here in Aotearoa. It is a place called Shag Rock, in Christchurch. Once a formidable, phallic beacon, the 2011 earthquake changed the shape of Shag Rock, so much so that locals now refer to it as 'Shagged' Rock. From the masculine to the feminine, a change has occurred. It comes as a sign that it is time to acknowledge and, with gratitude, release all that was and step courageously into the new.
Hold stone close, hear its song...
Rapanui- the song of stone connects Shag Rock and Easter Island. In doing so, it brings to light aspects of the Waitaha story. This is an aspect of the history of Aotearoa / New Zealand that is not well known. Waitaha waka sailed between these two places. Waitaha people came to New Zealand thousands of years ago.
...let your heart remember.
To catch Rapanui- the song of stone at the NZ Fringe, head along to www.bats.co.nz.
This show has been supported by the Wellington Creative Communities Scheme.