'Unreel' powerful work to heal
- TE RĀKAU
- Oct 5
- 3 min read
Unreel, written by Helen Pearse-Otene, dIrected by Jim Moriarty and produced by Te Rākau, Unreel went on a tour to community venues over 30 September - 14 October 2024. There were 14 performances to audiences in seven different venues in the region Te Ūpoko o Te Ika, the lower North Island.
ABOUT THE PLAY
Taking place in the ‘Hīnaki Hotel’ gaming lounge, Unreel reveals the legacy of gambling harm and how it impacts the wider community – from gaming venues and corporations, through to the families affected by addiction. Featuring songs and dances by Cherry and Bells, it centres around the launch of the refurbished hotel and a new AI world first pokie. Hosts from the local radio station are in attendance, as well as representatives from Inferno Entertainment, staff with their own experiences of gambling, and intimate stories from three problem gamblers.
Gambling is a lot more complex than people think. The gambler is being duped. You are paying for the thrill to be entertained, paying to lose. I don’t know if people think about that and/or how normalised yet how destructive it is. It’s not random and chance, it has all been worked out. It’s been made pretty so people participate and you get the dopamine hits.
People are reeled in. ‘Catch, gut, and release’. People are caught, their guts are ripped out, and they are let go. (JIM MORIARTY)
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
Commissioned by Ora Toa Mauriora: Kaupapa Māori Addiction Services (Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira) in 2022, Unreel is the result of a collaborative project facilitated by Te Rākau Hua o Te Wao Tapu. Working alongside addiction specialists and community members, the research centred on the negative impacts on families of electronic gaming (pokies). The resulting play written by Helen Pearse-Otene was rehearsed and filmed at the end of 2023. In 2024 the play was remounted and toured to community audiences.
Aims
Unreel entertains audiences through the style of the performance with bright colours and a vibrant musicality and it also provokes thought and kōrero about the social cost of gambling. The community tour aimed to reach affected communities where gambling is identified as a problem. Many performances were accompanied by staff from the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand
Feedback
Over 800 people attended performances across Porirua, Masterton, Palmerston North, Upper Hutt, Wainuiomata, Strathmore and Wellington City. Here are some comments by audience members:
I am a teacher. Gambling is very present, kids are spending a lot of money, it's problematic.
Absolutely hilarious, loved it so much. That ending got me, it was so good I wasn't expecting that.
I am a problem gambler. It shed some light on that… It's a beautiful way to share harsh and ugly reality.
It's so sad our arts and sports events are funded by gambling harm.
He mihi ngahau mō tēnei whakaari miharo hei whakatairanga ake i Hine Rehia i a Tane Rore i ngā tikanga, ngā mātāponi me te reo o tātou tipuna.
So beautiful - first time for me to experience anything like this.
Media
The following stories related to Unreel in 2024 were published by news media:
Comments