Professional Māori wrestler and actor Tyler Wilson-Kōkiri will debut his play, Wrestling with Wregret, during the Rangatahi Season at Te Pou Theatre. Photo / Supplied
Professional Māori wrestler and actor Tyler Wilson-Kōkiri will debut his play, Wrestling with Wregret, during the Rangatahi Season at Te Pou Theatre. Photo / Supplied
An insight into professional wrestling, a teen struggling with his sexuality and a fascination with aliens, the world of commercialism, and a young urban Māori trying to connect with her culture are four diverse topics explored in a season of theatre aiming to foster future Māori theatre-makers.
The Rangatahi Programme at Te Pou Theatre in Auckland will support four young Māori playwrights through professional mentorship to help them stage their work to be performed in November at Te Pou Theatre.
The aim is that each rangatahi work on their own shows, while also providing āwhina and support for the other productions so they can gain experience in collective art practices in a kaupapa Māori context.
The four plays are Wrestling with Wregret by Tyler Wilson-Kōkiri, Limited Time Only by Hone Nanda Taukiri, Concerning the UFO sighting at Mt Roskill, Auckland by Reon Bell, and Ngā Reta by Te Huamanuka Luiten-Apirana.
Wilson-Kōkiri is a professional wrestler and was inspired to write his play because of his love for wrestling.
A graduate of Toi Whakaari, Wilson-Kōkiri has been heavily involved with Te Pou Theatre as an actor but this is the first time he will be writing and staging his own work.
“Since I graduated from Toi Whakaari, Te Pou has nurtured and fostered my voice and have looked after and kept an eye on me,” he says.
“I am lucky to have such a positive experience as a theatre-maker because of my relationship with Te Pou Theatre.”
He says most people associate Māori theatre with trauma and identity-focused plays and the raft of topics explored during the Rangatahi Season shows how Māori theatre is emerging.
“It’s important that the voices of rangatahi are coming through,” he says.
Te Pou Theatre producer Maioha Allen.
Te Pou Theatre producer Maioha Allen says the Rangatahi Season is giving the future storytellers of Māori theatre a platform to develop their craft.
“The importance of supporting our rangatahi, our emerging artist, is to ensure toi Māori will always have a place and vehicle to convey and portray stories by Māori, for Māori,” he says.
“Young Māori voices need to be heard, and we want to be able to support them on their journey.”
The Rangatahi Season will run from November 7 to December 2 at Te Pou Theatre in Auckland.
Rangatahi Season 2023: Tuesday, November 7, to Saturday, December 2
Play 1: Concerning The UFO Sighting at Mt Roskill, Auckland by Reon Bell
When: November 7-11, 7pm (five nights)
Synopsis:
A solo theatre show that tells the story of a young man in 1980s Auckland who is struggling with his growing belief in aliens, and his life as a closeted gay man.
The words that have split Mātī in two since they were first spoken to him from his mother. He lives a double life. The life of a business-stockbroker-estate guy who writes pay cheque thingys, and a professional wrestler, in his mind and in his eyes. He encounters an event that merges his two lives.
Creatives:
Tyler Wilson-Kōkiri — performer and Creator (Ngāti Porou)
Tuakoi Ohia - Director (Ngāti Hine, Mataatua, Tainui, Te Arawa, Te Āti Awa and Ngāi Pākehā)
When the world of high art collides with the world of advertising and consumerism, Limited Time Only is what you get. An absurd physical-theatre from a multi-award show-watching director.
Creatives:
Hone Taukiri — creator and director (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Tama Te Rā)
When: November 28 to December 2, 7pm (five nights)
Synopsis:
Kāore a Mia e pīrangi ana i tōna Māoritanga. Ki a ia, he mahi taumaha, he mahi mamae hoki, te mahi a te Māori. Engari, ka whiwhi a Mia i ngā reta a tōna Māmā. Ka huripoki tōna ao, me ōna whakaaro.
Ka hoki ia ki te papa kāinga? Ko wai tōna Pāpā? Ka whakatika ia i te hononga ki tōna Māmā?
Urban Māori Mia rejects her Māoritanga. To her, being Māori is too deep and heavy. When a box of letters arrives from Nan about her mum’s journey through womanhood, Mia’s world is turned upside down. Will she return home? Who is her real dad? Can she fix the relationship with her mum?
