What's On: Shakespeare goes behind bars in play Cellfish coming to Whangārei

Jason Te Kare directed, wrote and stars in Cellfish which is in Whangārei next week. Photo / Supplied

Eight counts of unlawful entry using imagination, five counts of reckless use of Māori mythology, four counts possession and cultivation of Shakespeare, and one count of dangerous operation of a voice class.

In the play Cellfish, hardened inmates come face to face with a whole new nightmare - Shakespeare classes with Miss Lucy.

After sell-out seasons at Auckland's Silo Theatre, and the 2017 Auckland Arts Festival, acclaimed theatre work Cellfish will be in Whangārei for one night only.

Offset with wicked humour, the show gives agency to the voiceless - characters whose lives are framed by incarceration and challenged by the penal system.

The show, by Taki Rua and T.O.A. Productions, stars actors Jason Te Kare, who is also the director, and Carrie Green.

Written by Te Kare, Rob Mokaraka and Miriama McDowell, Cellfish is inspired by the Shakespeare Behind Bars programme - a real rehabilitation method used in the United States.

Te Kare said while these programmes are proven more effective than traditional punishment, the alternative approach can be hard for people to get their heads around.

"Especially emotionally for victims of crime, you feel they [offenders] need to be punished for what they have done, but at the end of the day, is that going to make our society better or worse when they get out? Because inevitably they get out," Te Kare said.

While the show hits some hard truths, a distinctly dark comedy is woven throughout the play.

Te Kare believes people will be surprised at what they laugh at.

"The whole time through the play we balance that quite finely.

"There's a lot of humour, a lot of laughter, a lot of good times but it's always on a knife edge, there's always a moment of danger so you're never fully free of that moment," he said.

Between them, Te Kare and Green embody seven unique characters, creating a multifaceted vision of life behind bars.

Cellfish explores a range of unique perspectives - from determined teacher to hopeful corrections officer to disenfranchised inmate.

"The changing from character to character is done physically through the actors' abilities.

"That's what I call the magic of theatre, when you can create this whole world just using two people, some lights, some sound."

Cellfish is at Forum North for one show only on Wednesday next week. Tickets are available through ticketek.co.nz and full details are at www.takirua.co.nz.