Taking theatre to the most vulnerable
Coronavirus is seeing ama¯ori theatre, based inwest Auckland, taking its performances on the road.
Te Pou Theatre’s Front Yard Festival aims to give the joy of connection — from a distance — to the most isolated people and groups in Auckland.
In some rest homes, hugs are banned and visits restricted to 30 minutes under alert level 2.
Like many in the performing arts industry, the theatre has been impacted by Covid-19.
Its programme of four shows and two festivals was set a year ago but has now been transformed into a travelling festival, dubbed the Front Yard Festival.
‘‘We all had to sit down and go: ‘Right, OK, what does this mean for our company over the year?’’’ Te Pou Theatre’s Amber Curreen said.
‘‘A lot of people are doing digital, but we wanted to find a way to uplift, whakamana, live performance.
‘‘It’s a special joy that just doesn’t translate across being filmed.
‘‘We did not plan to do anything like this before lockdown.’’
Six performers split into two teams have, sincewednesday, been visiting rest homes and private addresses, putting on 10-minute shows outdoors.
Curreen says the performers are physically distanced themselves ‘‘to show how joy, love and laughter can still happen when we’re distanced’’.
The shows, directed by Tainui Tukiwaho and Jarod Rawiri, are love stories and hark back to times elders might remember fondly.
‘‘They have a lovely nostalgia thread which runs through them which has been well enjoyed,’’ Curreen says.
At Roseridge Rest Home in Henderson, a handful of residents sit in the sunshine watching a show.
On the other side of the rest home’s white picket fence, performers Acushla-tara Kupe, Tuakoi Ohia and Regan Taylor play out scenes from a dance hall of yesteryear.
Director Tukiwaho said this show is all about ‘‘locking into positivememories’’ and playing on nostalgia.
Resident Gonca Simonovic, 85, waltzes with healthcare assistant Shea Siua.
Her son, Gus, watching from the footpath, said the whole idea and concept is ‘‘wonderful’’, as the social isolation of lockdown had been hard on his mother.
Gus said it is heartening to see his mother share in the laughter and the joy.
‘‘It’s the connection to the community we need, it fuels us to keepmaking theatre,’’ Curreen said.
‘‘This is the sort of stuff that gives us the heart and determination to keep making.’’