Acclaimed in Wellington, Raunchy Political Drama

MEDIA RELEASE July 15
 
“This new and highly entertaining play by Whiti Hereaka is full of action with many surprises yet also thought-provoking and well worth watching.”  - Ewen Coleman, DominionPost  

  “Hereaka’s writing is so taut and the performances so intense that the 90 minutes running time flies by.”  - Lynn Freeman, Capital Times

Acclaimed in Wellington, Raunchy Political Drama
TE KAUPOI plays next week in Festival

Taonga Whakaari: Maori Playwrights Festival
July 21-23. Hawkins Theatre-Papakura. 7.30pm.

Te Kaupoi, a raunchy political drama by award-winning playwright Whiti Hereaka, directed by Nancy Brunning and starring Jason Te Kare, Tina Cook and Kay Smith comes to Hawkins Theatre-Papakura as part of the inaugural Taonga Whakaari: Maori Playwrights Festival, which recently staged the box office hit Raising The Titanics.

Synopsis:

In the not too distant future, internal terrorism has rocked New Zealand. Maori who protested against the government’s abolition of Maori seats are widely blamed for civil unrest. The most notorious protester “Te Kaupoi” runs a pirate radio show that encourages Maori to gather and overthrow the illegal government.

On the barren plains of the North Island’s central volcanic plateau, a mysterious young woman, Sarah, lies unconscious, bloodied and beaten. Zeke Edwards is a cowboy on his last circuit before the government closes internal travel. His mother, Mary (aka Mere), lives in the old family homestead. Out planting trees, she stumbles across Sarah.

Who can you trust?

Paul Diamond, reviewing the recent Wellington production for theatreview.co.nz, says: “Te Kaupoi challenges us to consider what the impact might be if, as some do argue, the Maori seats were to be abolished. More potent perhaps, are the play’s themes centred around Maori culture, the essence of being Maori. Navigating the choices inherent in being Maori is not an easy, straight-forward business.

“Should Maori culture be shared? There’s a spooky reference to the lists compiled as part of Treaty settlements being used to round people up to be sent to a terrorist detention camp in Tongariro. Could Maori culture be used as a weapon? After seeing this play, the ubiquitous taonga worn around the necks of many New Zealanders will never look the same again.”
see his full review at: http://www.theatreview.org.nz/reviews/review.php?id=3177

Taonga Whakaari: The Maori Playwrights Festival arose from discussions at the 2007 Maori Playwrights Hui, which identified a need for Maori theatre practitioners to have a place to hone their craft. Hawkins Theatre -Papakura general manager Graeme Bennett, tasked with expanding the theatre into the community, saw a festival as a way to meet both objectives: “It’s an incredible opportunity for Maori to write, perform and produce their stories in a purpose-built venue, and the Maori Playwrights Festival gives the theatre the opportunity to interact with our local community.”
 
Presented by Taonga Whakaari: Maori Playwrights Festival as part of Matariki Festival 10 in Auckland and Papakura.
 
Te Kaupoi. Hawkins Theatre-Papakura.

July 21-23. 7.30pm. Bookings: http://www.ticketek.co.nz  0800Ticketek
ends
 

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