Latest news with #TeTangiaTeTūī
NZ Herald
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Te Tangi a Te Tūī: Māori circus show comes to Whangārei, Kerikeri
While Gordon's career led her to high-end circus, Tukiwaho (Te Arawa, Tūhoe and Tūwharetoa) continued to become an experienced theatre maker, teaming with a driving force in Māori theatre Amber Curreen (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Roroa) to create Te Pou Theatre. Te Tangi a Te Tūī is performed solely in te reo Māori and has received rave reviews internationally and in Aotearoa. Photo / David Cooper But the recollection of a teenage discussion with Gordon's mum was the catalyst for reuniting to co-write their latest show. 'Eve's mum commented that, 'No one's ever heard the song of the real tūī before. The original song before humans arrived has never been heard by a human', and I thought that was just amazing. 'After that comment, we just let that idea gestate in our minds for over 20 years and, meanwhile, I'd met Amber and, around five years ago, we sat down together and discussed this idea of the tūī.' Teaming with Gordon was their first collaboration with circus and, in association with Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ), Te Tangi a Te Tūī was born. The story centres around a family curse. Two magical beings lay claim to the first-born son in this bloodline, played by Tukiwaho's son Paku, 19. It is up to the boy to decide which entity he appeases. The entities have the opportunity to tell the boy their story and once the boy hears their stories, he can choose. The story fuses kapa haka, acrobatics and breath-taking aerial artistry to tell a story of reclamation, remembrance and return. Intertwined throughout is the tūī, who soaks up the world around and responds in song. Though beautiful, its tune is now a faint echo of what it once was when Aotearoa was blanketed in the ngāhere (forest). Te Tangi a Te Tūī is a powerful theatrical experience and unfolds as an evocative meditation on identity and resilience, in the face of colonisation. Photo / David Cooper 'Te Tangi a Te Tūī is about our collective remembering,' says Tukiwaho, who has a reputation for fearless storytelling and uplifting Māori voices and received the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award in 2023. 'It's about reclaiming language, whakapapa and the stories that have been waiting patiently for us to return to them. And we're doing it in a way that celebrates Māori innovation, power and wairua.' Te Tangi a Te Tūī is a powerful theatrical experience and unfolds as an evocative meditation on identity and resilience, in the face of colonisation. The 1.45-hour show features a cast of about 10 including Tukiwaho and two of his sons – Paku and Te Rongopai, 13, and their mother. Performed entirely in te reo Māori, the production surrounds audiences with the richness of the language and its cultural resonance. Those who are fluent or on their te reo Māori journey will enjoy the full immersion experience. Those with limited knowledge of te reo Māori and wishing to engage more deeply will be provided with a full English-language synopsis and radio play upon booking. This ensures the work remains accessible to all, allowing audiences to connect with the performance at whatever level suits them. 'I was insistent the English language would not be present in the show,' explains Tukiwaho, adding that a link to the radio play is sent when tickets are purchased with an even mix of people choosing to listen to it either before or after the show. The story centres around a family curse and two magical beings lay claim to the first-born son in this bloodline. Photo / Ralph Brown It was instrumental for their international premiere in Vancouver two years ago, which was received 'amazingly' by the audience with one review describing the power of te reo Māori and circus together as breath-taking. 'It was just an amazing experience with a lot of indigenous people who came along to the show,' he recalls, adding that the international audience were more impressed with the cultural context, whereas their subsequent Kiwi audience, more impressed with the circus. 'Overseas the cultural context and the language was exciting for them but that's because our audience here are lucky they get to experience it often whereas, in Canada, it was a novelty. 'I did notice our performers were far more nervous about performing at home. For one thing, our audience can know what we're saying.' The impact of the play inspired Gordon to enrol to learn te reo. She said the circus acts are used to enhance the narrative. 'If we create the show in a way where people who don't understand the language can understand the narrative, then they can just be immersed in the beautiful waiata that is the reo.' Tainui Tukiwaho, pictured, and Amber Curreen, both co-founders of Te Pou Theatre, teamed with Dust Palace's co-founder and lead circus performer Eve Gordon to bring this show about. Photo / Philip Merry Dust Palace producer Rachael Dubois adds: 'This work lives at the intersection of everything we love – high-calibre physical performance, kaupapa Māori storytelling, and deep collaboration. It's an incredibly special show, and audiences who see it are going to be moved, challenged, and inspired'. After its international premiere in Vancouver in 2023 and an acclaimed Aotearoa season at Te Pou Theatre during Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki/Auckland Arts Festival the following year, Te Tangi a Te Tūī is traveling to five North Island centres, including Tauranga, Rotorua, Taranaki, Whangārei and Kerikeri. 'We love going up north every year,' says Tukiwaho. 'Northland is from my cultural context as it has a huge population of Māori. 'Our people receive it in the way that we intend it to be received because they understand it in the context in the way we're applying it. Our whānau up north open-heartedly respond.' Tukiwaho said the tūī is more of an allegory for the Māori language and how the loss of the tūī's voice is similar to the journey of the Māori language. 'The tūī can no longer remember what their original voice was... our people were dangerously close to that as well. And that's why we're using the tūī in this particular way to show that. That's the journey that our people could have gone on.' Te Tangi a Te Tūī will be at Whangārei Forum North, Tuesday, August 19 and Kerikeri Turner Centre, Friday, August 22 - Saturday, August 23. Visit for booking details.
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Far North briefs: Vision Kerikeri AGM; library tech upgrade
Step into the world of Te Tangi a Te Tūī – a breathtaking blend of theatre and cirque, performed entirely in te reo Māori. Following a sold-out premiere season, this acclaimed production comes to the Turner Centre for the first time on Friday and Saturday, August 22 and 23. This
Scoop
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Tauranga First To Hear The Call Of The Tūī: Te Tangi A Te Tūī Tickets On Sale Now
A powerful production fusing kaupapa Māori storytelling with breathtaking contemporary circus opens its Te Ika-a-Māui / North Island tour in Tauranga this August. Tickets are now on sale for Te Tangi a Te Tūī, which will have its only public performance in Tauranga on Wednesday 6 August at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre. A dedicated schools matinee performance will follow on Thursday 7 August. Performed entirely in te reo Māori, the work blends kapa haka, aerial artistry and acrobatics into a deeply moving performance that celebrates identity, whakapapa and cultural reclamation. 'Baycourt is proud to support culturally rich productions like Te Tangi a Te Tūī, particularly those that create space for rangatahi to see their language, identity and stories reflected on stage in creative and resonant ways,' says Baycourt Manager Reena Snook. Inspired by the evolving song of the native tūī, the show is a collaboration between master storytellers and kaupapa Māori performing arts company Te Pou Theatre, and world-class cirque innovators The Dust Palace. Audiences fluent in or on a journey with te reo Māori will enjoy full immersion. Those newer to the language will receive an English-language synopsis and radio play upon booking to ensure accessibility and connection. With just one public performance and tickets expected to sell quickly, Tauranga audiences are encouraged to book early to avoid missing out. "Described as transformative and visually spectacular, Te Tangi a Te Tūī is a must-see work of Aotearoa theatre," says Snook. Tickets are available now at
Scoop
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Te Tangi A Te Tūī Takes Flight On Te Ika-A-Māui Tour
Press Release – Elephant Publicity Drawing together kaupapa Mori storytelling and contemporary cirque, Te Tangi a Te T unfolds as an evocative meditation on identity and resilience, in the face of colonisation. The result is a dazzling synthesis of form and meaning at once This August, the powerful theatrical experience Te Tangi a Te Tūī will soar across Aotearoa for a much-anticipated Te Ika-a-Māui tour. Presented by Te Pou Theatre and The Dust Palace, in association with PANNZ (Performing Arts Network of New Zealand), this groundbreaking work brings together the resonance of te reo Māori storytelling and the visceral beauty of circus. Following its international premiere in Vancouver and an acclaimed Aotearoa season at Te Pou Theatre during Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki, Te Tangi a Te Tūī now travels to five North Island centres, inviting audiences across the motu to experience a work that is visually arresting, emotionally stirring, and deeply rooted in te ao Māori. Co-written by longtime collaborators Amber Curreen (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Roroa) and Tainui Tukiwaho (Te Arawa, Tūhoe), the work fuses kapa haka, acrobatics, and breathtaking aerial artistry to tell a story of reclamation, remembrance and return. Tūī soaks up the world around it & responds in song. Though beautiful, his tune now is a faint echo of what it once was when Aotearoa was blanketed in the ngāhere, flutes of patupaiarehe filled the trees & Māori alone walked gently upon their mother. Drawing together kaupapa Māori storytelling and contemporary cirque, Te Tangi a Te Tūī unfolds as an evocative meditation on identity and resilience, in the face of colonisation. The result is a dazzling synthesis of form and meaning – at once poetic, political, and unforgettable. Performed entirely in te reo Māori, the production surrounds audiences with the richness of the language and its cultural resonance. Those who are fluent or on their te reo Māori journey will enjoy the full immersion experience. Those with limited knowledge of te reo Māori and wishing to engage more deeply will be provided with a full English-language synopsis and radio play upon booking. This ensures the work remains accessible to all, allowing audiences to connect with the performance at whatever level suits them. ' Te Tangi a Te Tūī is about our collective remembering,' says co-writer and co-director Tainui Tukiwaho. 'It's about reclaiming language, whakapapa and the stories that have been waiting patiently for us to return to them. And we're doing it in a way that celebrates Māori innovation, power and wairua.' Producer Rachael Dubois (The Dust Palace) echoes this sentiment: 'This work lives at the intersection of everything we love – high-calibre physical performance, kaupapa Māori storytelling, and deep collaboration. It's an incredibly special show, and audiences who see it are going to be moved, challenged, and inspired.' 'A masterclass in kaupapa Māori storytelling and physical theatre… unlike anything else on the Aotearoa stage.' — Theatreview 'Visually spectacular and emotionally resonant. The standing ovation was immediate and well deserved.' — NZ Herald 'A transformative, deeply moving experience. The power of te reo Māori and circus together is breathtaking.' — Radio New Zealand This collaboration between Māori-led performing arts company Te Pou Theatre and contemporary circus innovators The Dust Palace, Te Tangi a Te Tūī is supported by PANNZ as part of its mission to bring bold, original Aotearoa stories to communities around the country. Amber Curreen, co-writer and co-director, is a driving force in Māori theatre and a champion of kaupapa Māori creative leadership. As Pou Whakahaere of Te Pou Theatre, she has led the development of numerous new works and initiatives. Tainui Tukiwaho, also co-writer and co-director, brings over 20 years of stage and screen experience to the project, with a reputation for fearless storytelling and uplifting Māori voices. With its soaring physicality, poetic power and fierce cultural heart, Te Tangi a Te Tūī is a landmark work of Aotearoa theatre. A celebration of whakapapa, te taiao, and the enduring voice of our tūpuna, this is a story that calls us home. Tickets go on sale in May. Visit for booking details and resources. Rotorua Sir Howard Morrison Centre Sunday 10 – Monday 11 August Taranaki TSB Showplace Thursday 14 – Friday 15 August tsb-showplace Whangārei Forum North Tuesday 19 – 20 August Forum-North Kerikeri Turner Centre Friday 22 – Saturday 23 August
Scoop
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Te Tangi A Te Tūī Takes Flight On Te Ika-a-māui Tour
This August, the powerful theatrical experience Te Tangi a Te Tūī will soar across Aotearoa for a much-anticipated Te Ika-a-Māui tour. Presented by Te Pou Theatre and The Dust Palace, in association with PANNZ (Performing Arts Network of New Zealand), this groundbreaking work brings together the resonance of te reo Māori storytelling and the visceral beauty of circus. Following its international premiere in Vancouver and an acclaimed Aotearoa season at Te Pou Theatre during Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki, Te Tangi a Te Tūī now travels to five North Island centres, inviting audiences across the motu to experience a work that is visually arresting, emotionally stirring, and deeply rooted in te ao Māori. Co-written by longtime collaborators Amber Curreen (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Roroa) and Tainui Tukiwaho (Te Arawa, Tūhoe), the work fuses kapa haka, acrobatics, and breathtaking aerial artistry to tell a story of reclamation, remembrance and return. Tūī soaks up the world around it & responds in song. Though beautiful, his tune now is a faint echo of what it once was when Aotearoa was blanketed in the ngāhere, flutes of patupaiarehe filled the trees & Māori alone walked gently upon their mother. Drawing together kaupapa Māori storytelling and contemporary cirque, Te Tangi a Te Tūī unfolds as an evocative meditation on identity and resilience, in the face of colonisation. The result is a dazzling synthesis of form and meaning – at once poetic, political, and unforgettable. Performed entirely in te reo Māori, the production surrounds audiences with the richness of the language and its cultural resonance. Those who are fluent or on their te reo Māori journey will enjoy the full immersion experience. Those with limited knowledge of te reo Māori and wishing to engage more deeply will be provided with a full English-language synopsis and radio play upon booking. This ensures the work remains accessible to all, allowing audiences to connect with the performance at whatever level suits them. ' Te Tangi a Te Tūī is about our collective remembering,' says co-writer and co-director Tainui Tukiwaho. 'It's about reclaiming language, whakapapa and the stories that have been waiting patiently for us to return to them. And we're doing it in a way that celebrates Māori innovation, power and wairua.' Producer Rachael Dubois (The Dust Palace) echoes this sentiment: 'This work lives at the intersection of everything we love – high-calibre physical performance, kaupapa Māori storytelling, and deep collaboration. It's an incredibly special show, and audiences who see it are going to be moved, challenged, and inspired.' 'A masterclass in kaupapa Māori storytelling and physical theatre… unlike anything else on the Aotearoa stage.' — Theatreview 'Visually spectacular and emotionally resonant. The standing ovation was immediate and well deserved.' — NZ Herald 'A transformative, deeply moving experience. The power of te reo Māori and circus together is breathtaking.' — Radio New Zealand This collaboration between Māori-led performing arts company Te Pou Theatre and contemporary circus innovators The Dust Palace, Te Tangi a Te Tūī is supported by PANNZ as part of its mission to bring bold, original Aotearoa stories to communities around the country. Amber Curreen, co-writer and co-director, is a driving force in Māori theatre and a champion of kaupapa Māori creative leadership. As Pou Whakahaere of Te Pou Theatre, she has led the development of numerous new works and initiatives. Tainui Tukiwaho, also co-writer and co-director, brings over 20 years of stage and screen experience to the project, with a reputation for fearless storytelling and uplifting Māori voices. With its soaring physicality, poetic power and fierce cultural heart, Te Tangi a Te Tūī is a landmark work of Aotearoa theatre. A celebration of whakapapa, te taiao, and the enduring voice of our tūpuna, this is a story that calls us home. Tickets go on sale in May. Visit for booking details and resources. Tauranga Baycourt Community and Arts Centre Wednesday 6 – Thursday 7 August Rotorua Sir Howard Morrison Centre Sunday 10 – Monday 11 August Taranaki TSB Showplace Thursday 14 - Friday 15 August tsb-showplace Whangārei Forum North Tuesday 19 - 20 August Forum-North Kerikeri Turner Centre Friday 22 - Saturday 23 August
