How does it feel to be reinventing a classic Maori legend?
I don’t feel like I’m reinventing a Maori legend per se, but more re-contextualising the narrative. At the core of the it, it’s still based on the Maori legend himself, just cloaked in a "different costume". I think Maori theatre — cabaret in particular — is a perfect avenue to take tradition, hold the core values, stay true to the intentions but re-voice the story.
What is your favourite Maui myth and why?
Maui had many exciting adventures, which all have influenced Maori culture. So I don’t see them as myths — my whakapapa tells me that everything about him was real. I see them as lessons, philosophy and a way of approaching modern challenges. He was inquisitive, sensitive, bold, fierce and mischievous — his stories tell me so.
How do you intertwine culture with glitter and rock?
Very easily. When the intention is clear, when the tone is right, it’s easy. The theatre-cabaret is heightened so the context calls for something a little "extra". I love sparkle and shine, I love my culture and I love to rock out. It’s just a honest reflection of who I am. But it has to be approached with care and curation. As long as it’s pushing the narrative and not distracting from it, then you’re in the clear. "Take a snotty-nosed pa boy, roll him in glitter, throw him a mic and pay him in fried bread".
Is it important to you to perform in distinctively Maori productions?
As a Maori performer it’s important for me to perform in as many contexts as possible — whether it be kaupapa Maori or not. It’s particularly important for me, as a Maori storyteller who works primarily in mainstream contexts, to find opportunities to use that privilege to further promote Maori ideals and Maori language, and to evoke conversations around biculturalism here in Aotearoa.
What feedback have you received so far?
My favourite piece of feedback has been from a wahine in Auckland who came to the show with her grandmother. She said she had never experienced a show that both her and her grandmother equally enjoyed. She went on to say that though both of them were at different stages in their lives, they laughed together and cried together, even through it spoke to them differently and empowered them individually.
Why should people come and see this show?
I love the conversation this show brings. It is a gentle, humorous and entertaining delivery of important conversations. It’s celebration, laughter, kick-ass music and joyful storytelling but it’s also a chance for reflection.
