Modern Maori theatre on the big stage
A host of Wellington theatre royalty come together on stage in a new Maori theatre story with a difference.
The Biggest, the latest offering by award-winning Kiwi writer and director Jamie McCaskill, follows a group of old mates who enter a fishing competition in their rural New Zealand town.
It premieres in a limited twoweek showing at Hannah Playhouse on October 29, with a cast full of theatre legends, including Wesley Dowdell, Jim Moriarty, Tim Gordon, Peter Hambleton, Apirana Taylor and Moana Ete.
It’s modern Maori theatre, using a mainstream, Western style and the biggest production of McCaskill’s career so far.
Veteran actor Gordon plays Stu, who has recently hurt himself in an accident that destroyed his boat.
Along with his mates, he enters the local fishing competition, the prize for which is a new boat.
McCaskill uses humour to entertain audiences, while telling a story of prejudice in rural parts of the country.
The inspiration came from being immersed in such an environment, while working behind a bar in Thames and watching how Maori and Pakeha interact.
‘‘I was working at the bar and it was elections. There was only one polling booth in town and I said to one of my regulars, ‘hey, you should go vote early. He said ‘na, f... that, I’m not a Maori’. I was like, ‘oh, that’s your perception, that only Maori get a vote early’.
‘‘That is why I wanted to write about rural men and racism in that town.
‘‘I hope they have a good laugh,’’ he says. ‘‘It should resonate afterwards.’’
One of Wellington’s best-known poets and actors, Taylor plays Mick.
He says the characters have been written beautifully, and as a result are easy to relate to. ‘‘The audience will be able to look at the characters and see themselves and reflect on themselves,’’ he says.
Hambleton is a stalwart of the New Zealand theatre scene, but is perhaps best known as Gloin the Dwarf from Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy. He returns to the stage as Pat. The Biggest is unabashed in its New Zealand humour, he says. ‘‘It’s got that very Kiwi thing where friends give each other a hard time.‘‘
Tickets are available through hannahplayhouse.org.nz.