Talanoa

Talanoa: Four Paci¿c Plays is a timely collection from ¿ve playwrights who interweave Paci¿c languages with English. Masters in the art of comedy and real-life theatre, these contemporary voices shine a light on the lives of Paci¿c peoples, their culture and identity in New Zealand. My Name Is Pilitome by Vela Manusaute. Filimoana’s parents left Niue for New Zealand in 1976 and never returned. Thirty-eight years later, a reluctant Fili G travels to Niue for a hilarious journey of discovery. In Vela Manusaute’s My Name is Pilitome the secret is … don’t fake it, just cut it! Sai ¿ Reunion by Lolo Fonua. Mele, an innocent Tongan teen, has just arrived in New Zealand and is taken under the wing of her two worldy-wise cousins. Sai ¿ Reunion by Lolo Fonua tells a story of the struggle to both hold onto the traditional way of life and gain acceptance in the Big Smoke. Gaga: The Unmentionable by Louise Tu`u. An original work that plays with language and the conventions of live theatre. Tu`u explores the ways people connect through communication and cultural barriers, and the frustrations and comedy that arise along the way. Inky Pinky Ponky by Leki Jackson-Bourke & `Amanaki Prescott-Faletau.Everyone’s talking about Lisa, the hot new Tongan fakaleiti who has just started at St Valentine’s High School, even Mose, captain of the First XV. But jealousy and prejudice lurk everywhere.