Two Plays: Mauri Tü deals powerfully with issues of identity in a country that is, at times, struggling to take account of the mixture of cultures within it – and with justice (in all senses of the word). The issues are as potent today as when the piece was first written. Mauri Tü is also a wonderful vehicle for an actor, who is required to play four characters, ranging from 10-year-old Waru to Matiu in his mid-60s.
Tatai is about the transmission of knowledge through time. It explores the ways in which the handing down of knowledge may have been affected by colonization and how this is viewed through the experiences of the three main characters and their relationship to each other. The play begins in 1966 and shows the relationship between a woman and her granddaughter, then tracks back in time to explore the relationship beetween the woman and her grandmother before moving forward again to 1966. The linkages between all six generations of the family are thus explored as the past becomes the living present, as each new generation becomes aware of the continuing influence and importance of the old, of the whakapapa
Cast and crew
Director
Hilary HalbaRichard Huber
Cast
Mauri Tu: Waru/Matiu/Jerr - Reihana HarongKaumatua/ Kai-karakia - Huata Holmes
Kaitiaki - Cindy Diver
Tatai: All characters - Christine Gibbs
Kaumatua/ Kai-karakia/Kai - Huata Holmes
Kaitiaka - Rua McCallum
Crew
Lighting Design - Martin PhelanLighting Operator/Stage M - Bob Field
Riggers - Bob Field
Riggers - H-J Kilkelly
Riggers - Martin Phelan
Riggers - Julie Sim