A riveting cultural journey
Strong production and cast bring new voices to stage in poignant work
Written by Filipina-New Zealand playwright Marianne Infante, Pinay follows the journey of a family that leaves the Philippines to travel to Christchurch in 1999 to begin a new life. Hardworking migrant parents, young children who become immersed in life in Aotearoa . . . there are plenty of familiar events in the journey of settling down and settling into life here.
The strength of the show is not just in the excellent cast, strong production values or evocative writing but also in the cumulative effect of the rich and nuanced specificity of Filipino culture.
During 90 minutes, we watch Alex (Infante) become best buddies with a young Ma¯ ori boy (Matiu Hamuera), fall in love with a Pa¯ keha boy Seth (Lucas Haugh) and navigate her way through the emotional and cultural minefield of Filipino parental expectations.
It’s tempting to focus on a comingof-age narrative but Infante’s writing, Ahi Karunaharan’s dramaturgy and director James Roque’s light but deliberate touch emphasise the deep and heartfelt emotional tensions of a mother-daughter relationship.
Infante shows a wide array of personalities from petulant child to innocent teenager to rebellious young adult.
Her lightning-quick changes are matched by Donna Dacuno who quietly steals the show with an impeccable performance of the protective mother desperate for her daughter to avoid repeating historical mistakes. Marwin Silerio and Richard Perillo (playing Alex’s older brother and father respectively) also offer beautifully sculpted character portrayals providing poignant additions to the narrative. Hamuera and Haugh round off the team with strong performances that steer the work away from cliche and set the story firmly on this whenua.
The Filipino Tagalong language and te reo Ma¯ ori are liberally used and, in particular, the range of waiata adds a distinctively Filipino quality to a world that consciously acknowledges Te Ao Ma¯ ori. The complementary lighting and sound and quick and easily manoeuvrable set also ensure the drama is wellpaced and, although it’s a tad long, Pinay never fails to keep our attention focused on its storytellers.