Natano Keni

20 June 201823 July 2018

Home Alone

I suppose it’s an annual pilgrimage: as Matariki descends upon this lush nation, I take myself to my hometoon of Wellington for a bit of colour and culture. The Lovely Wife didn’t accompany me this year as our schedules didn’t work out (and we’d been down this way only a few weeks earlier).

This time around I:

saw Kia Mau Festival highlights Taki Rua’s He Kura e Huna Ana and the premiere season of Deer Woman;
attended a Playwrights Hui where I —
- had the pleasure of meeting Tara Beagan (Canada), Jorjia Gillis (Australia), Lily Shearer (Australia), Mitch Tawhi Thomas (Wellington), and Jason Te Mete (Auckland);
- and caught up with Ali Foa’i, Mīria George, Natano Keni, Hone Kouka, Jamie McCaskill, and Ilbijerri’s Rachel Maza;
and, outside Kia Mau events, met with various Wellington residents about one thing or another.

Unlike last year there was no dining at the usual, nor a Mamea family catch-up, but it was a productive trip, and my hometown is always always fun to visit.

30 December 201714 January 2018

2017 on Stage

I’m as shocked as you are: I haven’t done a best-of of live theatre since 2012 — and even then I lumped it in with the screen stuff.

Highlights from 2017:

Riverside Kings by Natano Keni and Sarita So — Wellington talent to keep an eye out for;
Kororāreka: The Ballad of Maggie Flynn by Red Leap Theatre — dance theatre usually leaves me a little bewildered — but Kororāreka was exhilarating and captivating;
Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, Auckland Theatre Company — a big show, a rock ‘n’ roll story, and awesome, extravagant theatre.

Kororāreka: The Ballad of Maggie Flynn, Red Leap Theatre. (Image courtesy Red Leap Theatre, www.redleaptheatre.co.nz)

17 June 20173 July 2017

Home Again

Civic Square with The Lovely Wife, Wellington.

The Lovely Wife and I have just returned from a few days south where we —

saw a couple of great shows (one of which must, must, tour),
I — cue name-dropping! —
- schemed with Benedict Reid (yes, that Mr Reid) and Simon Boyes, soon after which we three mouseketeers pitched a show to the Circa Theatre Council;
- paid my respects to Kia Mau Festival principals Hone Kouka & Mīria George;
- applauded Riverside Kings creators Natano Keni and Sarita So, and their actors Semu Filipo and Lale Ausage,
- rubbed shoulders with theatre movers and shakers Nancy Brunning, Nathaniel Lees, Jamie McCaskill, Rob Mokaraka, Mish Muagututi’a & Tony De Goldie, Victor Rodger and the incomparable Maraea Rakuraku;
- and schmoozed with the Film Commish’s Karin Williams, Dance Aotearoa New Zealand’s Faye Jansen and her husband Murray, Creative New Zealand’s Makerita Urale, and Playmarket’s Salesi Leota and Murray Lynch;
we visited my parents in the oul’ neighbourhood,
broke bread with friends at the Southern Cross restaurant,
and dined at our Wellington usual.

It was exhausting but fun. Until next time, Wellington.