The debut of playwright Aroha Awarau marks the emergence of a distinctive talent and highlights a growing trend among Maori artists asserting the freedom to move beyond specifically Maori issues and engage creatively with the wider world.
Our enduring fascination with the rich and famous is given a historical perspective as the production drops us into the glamorous world of the 1958 Oscars where five nominees for Best Supporting Actress trade barbed compliments at an informal luncheon.
A meticulously researched script throws up fascinating nuggets of social history and demonstrates how intense focus on a particular event can open a window on universal themes.
The play shines a light on the first person of Asian heritage to be nominated for an Oscar. The experience of Miyoshi Umeki, who appeared alongside Marlon Brando in Sayonara, calls to mind the excitement generated by Keisha Castle Hughes' nomination for Whale Rider and allows for a perceptive exploration of the pervasive sense of otherness that asserts itself in unspoken gestures and the intricacies of social etiquette.
Director Katie Wolfe presents a lively, entertaining production capturing the genteel bitchiness of high society and showing that international pop culture is as much a part of Kiwi experience as kapa haka or Marmite.
