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TAHI Ōtepoti Festival — A Raptor in Dunedin
Thursday, October 15 — The New Athenaeum Theatre
Review by Brenda Harwood
Poetry, music and dance collide to mesmerising effect in local show A Raptor in Dunedin — part of the TAHI Ōtepoti festival of solo performance.
The show’s abstract story-telling and intriguing score are the result of a collaboration between poet Kim Cope Tait, composer Dr Maddy Parkins-Craig, and choreographer Sofia Kalogeropoulou.
Exploring themes of grief, faith, growth, and the distance between lovers in a spiral of words and movement, A Raptor in Dunedin is immersive and mystical.
The success of the half-hour show is in the performance of Cope Tait, who speaks some of her poetry aloud and responds to other verses with stylised movement.
Cope Tait has a powerful and impressive physical presence, moving with grace and strength, and holding the gaze of the audience throughout.
The soundscape of the piece combines recorded elements with live manipulation by composer Parkins-Craig, working seamlessly with the movement of Cope Tait.
All in all, A Raptor in Dunedin was intriguing and emotionally resonant, giving extra life and movement to an exploration of place and the body.
The performance was followed by an interesting korero between the show’s three creators and the audience, where the processes involved in bringing the piece to the stage were discussed in depth.