Humour and masterful storytelling
Ru¯ tene Spooner’s Thoroughly Modern Ma¯ ui Reviewed by Ilona Hanne ..
.. .. .. .. Forget safety videos, if Air New Zealand want to really introduce passengers to Aotearoa then perhaps they should get Ru¯ tene Spooner on board.
Ru¯ tene’s show, Thoroughly Modern Ma¯ ui, is something every New Zealander should watch, as should every visitor to our beautiful land. In just one hour, Ru¯ tene takes his audience on a journey of discovery and learning, all delivered with humour, melody and masterful storytelling.
Over the course of the show, he channels Ma¯ uiTikitiki-A-Taranga (Ma¯ ui for short) as he reflects on identity, language, and racism in a way that makes the audience think and empathise without feeling attacked or uncomfortable.
His country-music style waiata on how to pronounce Ma¯ ori words and names correctly should be played in
every kindergarten and school in the country, as he gently pokes fun at people’s inability (actually refusal) to pronounce simple place names correctly in a memorable way that is sure to help people with their pronounciation in the future.
Ru¯ tene’s show is packed with clever korero alongside an incredible vocal performance and he constantly finds, makes and builds connections with everyone in the room. He has the ability to find the humour in everything — reflecting on the past few pandemic years as being “the ones we bought from Wish” while not trivialising people’s experiences — his song about wanting to wear a hoodie will resonate with anyone who has ever found themselves judged based on race.
In many ways, the show is a typical cabaret, complete with plenty of rhinestones, but Ru¯ tene has given it a Ma¯ ori makeover that lifts it up to something deserving of its own category entirely.
The backing band, Pork Bones and Harmony, adds another dimension to the show as well, and a clear whanaungatanga (connection) between Ru¯ tene and the band members added even more to the experience, drawing the audience into their circle throughout.
Masterful storytelling, incredible harmonies and waiata and skilled showmanship combine to ensure the audience will all feel inspired to “wiri in the air like you just don’t care” with the added bonus of having learned a thing or two.
Ru¯ tene Spooner’s show, Thoroughly Modern Ma¯ ui was in Taranaki last week as part of the Taranaki Arts Festival Trust’s Spiegel fest festival.