Sei 'O Fafine
Kavanagh Auditorium
Monday, October 13
''Mum'' (Litea Aholelei), in the matriarchal role, teaches her five daughters the importance of value, what it means to be a Tongan woman and what is to be expected of them, both in the home and in public.
Overall, the production felt a little amateurish, but what it lacked in sophistication it made up with courage and heart.
It was a piece of dramatic theatre incorporating elements of dance and vocals which created an emotive atmosphere. It is, however, a production that will resonate with many due to its quite poignant subject matter.
The stage is occupied by six actors/dancers (Aholelei, Suivai Autagavaia Latu, Nastassia Wolfgramm, Loretta Ese, Shauntelle Jones and Maile Finau) and the three singers who provide the a cappella soundtrack, Milly Grant, Jessica Unu and Neti Finau.
The setting for this piece is the family home and the work covers myriad issues facing young women today, from physical insecurities to obedience, self-worth and love. One of the daughters, the misunderstood Ofa (Suivai Autagavaia Latu), struggles to understand her place and her own self-respect. She finally comes to realise what her mother had been trying to impart, that value comes from things that cannot be taken away: faith, family and Tongan-ness.
Sei 'O Fafine covers some thought-provoking issues with conviction, so it could easily have come across as too ''heavy'', but the more serious content was balanced out by comic intervals throughout, particularly by Shauntelle Jones. While Sei 'O Fafine depicts the relationship between mother and daughter, the overall theme of this work is the importance of love, not just between people, but the love you have for yourself.
- Reviewed by Penny Neilson
