About the Show

A theatricalization of the poetry of Samoan New Zealander Tusiata Avia, this piece offers an examination and celebration of what it is to be a Samoan woman.

From the show:

Samoan New Zealander Tusiata Avia’s poetry becomes a fearless and enchanting piece of theatre under the direction of Anapela Polata'ivao and a cast of six powerful Pasefika actresses.

Breathing provocative new life into Avia’s examination and celebration of what it is to be a Samoan woman, Polata'ivao’s direction adds “extra levels of nuance, power and dramatic sophistication” which earned her Best Director in the 2016 Auckland Theatre Awards.

Through her vivid, compelling and at times hilarious characters, Avia paints a deeply personal view of Pacific Island life and its sometimes uneasy collisions with the Kiwi way. Heart-stopping and unmissable theatre.

Critic Reviews (2)

"A powerful and engrossing study of the lives of Samoan women and their uneasy cultural collision with New Zealand. Unfortunately, at the performance under review no program was given out to explain that the Pacific Island actresses each played discrete characters."
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"A rhythmic, exuberant and startling work of theater that resembles Ntozake Shange's choreopoem …a fierce, lively cast… there is enough that's both clear and compelling to transcend the barriers of language and culture - or, more precisely, to connect with our own."
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