Everything Is Political: Waenga Heads On Tour

Waenga
Produced by Te Rākau in partnership with Hurō Productions
Theatre Marae tour 19 June – 2 Aug, 17+ venues
Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Kāpiti, Horowhenua, Taranaki & Whanganui

The critically acclaimed play, Waenga, created by sister and brother Hariata and Tamati Moriarty, is touring this June – August. Directed by their father Jim Moriarty with dramaturgy by their mother Helen Pease-Otene, this Te Rākau presentation invites audiences to consider their place within systems of power, and what it means to be an active participant in civic life.

Caught in the legislative machinery of “move-on” orders, Connie, a young wahine Māori - finds herself in a police holding cell where everything is in question: her freedom, her future, and whether survival is even possible in today’s political landscape. Witnessing the inequity of Connie’s experience, her friend Peyton begins to realise what a Tangata Tiriti partnership really means, while Grayson, a young Māori lawyer, navigates a justice system that demands more than it gives.

“In today's volatile climate this play is a chance to ask – how do I make my own voice count? How do I make my vote count?” says director, Jim Moriarty.

Waenga premiered at the Kia Mau Festival in 2025 and was presented to hundreds of students in schools during 2025 and early 2026, alongside a tour with Taki Rua. In this new expanded version Te Rākau are adding their Theatre Marae flair, bringing more songs, more action and more deeply important kōrero. The lower North Island tour kicks off on 19 June in Pōneke, opening the new Wellington City Council central city arts space at 3 Market Lane, before heading to more than 17 other venues.

The play features music by Rameka Tamaki (Out the Gate) and an ensemble of eight talented actors including Hariata Moriarty (Cousins, Whakapapa), Tamati Moriarty (After the Party), Mycah Keall (Waiora), Regan Taylor (Waiora, The Maori Sidesteps), Brooke Wharehinga, Matiu Rata, Rylee Herewini, and Ryan Holtham.

“I hangaia tēnei whakaari arā, ko Waenga, mā ngā rangatahi Māori kia kite ai i a rātou wheako i a rātou whakaaro hoki ki runga i te atamira.”
“The show Waenga was created so that rangatahi Māori could see their voices and their experiences told on the stage.” – say Hariata and Tamati Moriarty.

A sharply prescient story of systemic violence, racism and hope, which resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds, Waenga delves into the challenges of rangatahi Māori trying to change the system, from the outside and the inside.

The marae and the theatre are both communal sites for engagement. Director Jim Moriarty describes Theatre Marae as “essentially a hui – a gathering of people to share in a whole of life experience.” During the creation of Waenga, Hariata and Tamati worked extensively with high school students to help inform their characters’ journeys, ensuring the experiences depicted felt relevant, relatable and real.

A radio play of the production has been produced by Radio New Zealand, and will air on Culture101, and be available online, in June.

For this tour, Te Rākau are bringing Waenga not just to the theatre, but into marae, schools, community centres, universities and more, to ensure the work can be experienced by all.

“Waenga is a show that really speaks to Māori and all New Zealanders because it tackles real issues we’re facing together as a country." – Theatreview

WAENGA
Book tickets at www.eventfinda.co.nz/tours-festivals/2026/waenga

3 Market Lane, Arts Centre, Wellington City
19 June – 5 July

Aotea College, Porirua
7 – 9 July

Te Tūhunga Rau, Strathmore
14 July

Orongomai Marae, Upper Hutt
17 July

Wainuiomata Marae, Wainuiomata
18 July

Toitoi - Hawke's Bay Arts & Events Centre, Hastings
20 July

Waitara High School, Taranaki
28 July

Horowhenua College, Levin
31 July

Wairarapa Events Centre, Carterton
4 August
 

More dates coming soon is Pahiatua, Palmerston North, Feilding, Whanganui, Ōtaki, Paraparaumu, and Te Awa Kairangi.

© Scoop Media