Review by John Smythe 22nd Jun 2026 In May 2025 Hurō Productions premiered a two-hander version of Waenga at the late-lamented Te Auaha Tapere Iti, then took it to Dunedin in March this year. Now Te Rākau Hua o Te Wao Tapu in partnership with Hurō Productions are presenting a developed production with nine performers – for a short season at Toi Aro Art Centre, 3 Market Lane, Wellington (replacing Toi Poneke in Abel Smith St) then a tour of 21 venues across multiple venues wit

From Culture 101, 2:40 pm on 21 June 2026 Siblings Hariata and Tamati Moriarty developed Waenga through workshops with senior Maori students at Wellington high schools, building the play around the recurring theme of young people wanting to understand a political world that often feels deliberately confusing. The show played to sold-out audiences at last year's Kia Mau Festival and has since grown into a theatre marae production directed by their father, Jim Moriarty. They've

by Atakohu Middleton | Jun 21, 2026, E-TANGATA The cast of Waenga. Hariata Moriarty (front centre) and her brother Tamati (in the suit) created the play after the 2023 election, based on kōrero with high school students aged 15 to 18. (Photo supplied) Siblings Hariata and Tamati Moriarty are the writers and stars of the provocative play Waenga, which opened in Wellington this weekend. The play will run at the Toi Aro Arts Centre until July 5, before touring the lower North I