Māori theatre a tonic for NZ’s ‘historical amnesia’
Massey University | 25 January 2017
Countering "cultural amnesia" with provocative, entertaining theatre that exposes multiple truths of Aotearoa's turbulent history.
Countering “cultural amnesia” with provocative, entertaining theatre that exposes multiple truths of Aotearoa's turbulent history is how Te Rākau Theatre artistic director Jim Moriarty describes the work of The Undertow – a four-play epic currently being performed in Wellington.
He says theatre fans, and those who have never seen live theatre, have been blown away by the power and passion of the performances currently being performed at Te Papa Museum’s Soundings Theatre.
He hopes more will take the chance to participate in the final days of the current season, which is supported by Massey University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The Undertow tackles major historical moments in our collective stories: from the settlement of Port Nicholson and the Owhiro Coast, to the battle of Passchendaele and the Vietnam war, to current day urban development.
It is comprised of four funny, moving and deeply powerful plays about Wellington and Aotearoa’s bicultural history performed by a cast and crew of 50, directed by Mr Moriarty and written by Massey psychology graduate Helen Pearse-Otene for Te Rākau Theatre, New Zealand’s longest-running Māori theatre company.
Read more on Massey University's website.