Jack Grace is shining a light on suicide by bringing a show to Rotorua called The Puriri Tree. Photo / Andrew Warner
WARNING: This article talks about suicide. Reader discretion is advised.
It’s an unspoken topic. But now Rotorua writer and director Jack Grace is doing more than just talking about suicide. He’s bringing a free theatre show to Rotorua, opening on Monday, that tackles the subject. Senior journalist Kelly Makiha reports.
“It’s a taniwha or monster that hides in the shadows ... We don’t talk about it as much as we should and in that time it continues to take our mothers, our fathers, our sons and our daughters.”
These are the words of Rotorua’s Jack Grace.
Now he’s taking a bold step and putting the subject of suicide on a stage with lights, drama, theatre and music.
Why?
“Because you can’t change what you can’t see.”
From Monday night until Saturday, May 4, Grace is bringing his latest show, The Puriri Tree, to the Sir Howard Morrison Centre in Rotorua.
It’s a story about a man called Boydie and how he decides to end his life, only to discover something he never thought was possible.
Grace describes it as a reflective story about suicide and the challenges it brings. He said it was a tale of courage and love as well as understanding, strength and hope.
It will feature an all-Rotorua cast and crew including two main characters – played by Selwyn Lloyd and Raukawa Tahuna – kapa haka performers and live musicians.
It’s a completely different project from what Rotorua audiences are used to seeing from Grace. He was the writer, director and main character in the sell-out show 8 Scott Ave, a humourous story based on Māori families growing up on the east side of Rotorua.
When the Rotorua Daily Post asked Grace if The Puriri Tree is entertaining and even funny, Grace smiled and said: “Of course it is, it’s me. I can’t get away from my sense of humour ... so of course, there’s some really dry, funny lines in there.”
Grace is nervous about the reaction but hopes his audiences receive the show in the honest nature it is intended.
“We have taken every precaution over this project but it’s full of support, love, care and honesty that you can wring out of a sponge. It’s my hope people will go through every emotion and they will cry, laugh, get angry and be happy.”
Grace said The Puriri Tree started as a piece of poetry.
“It was one of those moments I had while writing it where I wanted to save the world. Deep down I knew one day it would become something it needed to.”
Grace said he’d had his time on the stage performing to big audiences in shows with all the bells and whistles.
“When we came back to Rotorua after 35 years of being away, I no longer wanted to do shiny, loud and bright stuff. I wanted to do things that mattered. To me, 8 Scott Ave was important because it told the story of our history. The Puriri Tree is important too.”
Grace said depression or anxiety was common.
“It’s here, it’s in our community, it’s all over our schools. There’s the sun and it’s shining but I have got anxiety. It’s real and it affects everyone.”
He said he didn’t have a deep-rooted personal suicide story but everyone has been impacted by it somehow.
When the idea came to him to turn his poem into a show, he knew it had to be done right. It wasn’t about making money or becoming famous. It was about sending a message. But to do that, it needed to be accessible.
“The people that need to hear this probably can’t even afford to feed themselves, let alone go on a night out and watch a show.
“I was sitting here at my laptop and I thought ‘bugger it’, so I jumped straight in the car and drove to the One Foundation office and asked for funding.”
He said he was thrilled One Foundation came on board to match a contribution from Rotorua Trust to ensure the show could be delivered professionally and seen free of charge.
Each show will start with a talk from a guest speaker who will share their experiences relating to suicide. Each show will end with a question and answer session with trained professionals.
Grace has also arranged for professional support to be accessible throughout and after the show. A hauora team from various Rotorua health clinics will host a Safe Lounge. The lounge is also a safe place at the venue where people can watch the show in private in case the performance triggers feelings that might overwhelm some.
Those wanting to attend the show, which starts at 7pm each night, can go to https://sirhowardmorrisoncentre.co.nz/wha.../the-puriri-tree to secure a free ticket or go along on the night.
Grace said it is recommended audience members under 13 be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Figures on Te Whatu Ora’s website show the rates of suicide or suspected suicide have been steady in the Lakes District Health Board area for the past 10 years with deaths averaging between 17 and 18 a year.
Over the 10 years from 2013 to 2022, there had been 176 suicides or suspected suicides in the Lakes District Health Board area, which included Rotorua and Taupō.
The figures for 2020 to 2022 were still considered suspected suicides because they had not been confirmed by a coroner yet.
The worst year was in 2016 when 23 people took their life and the least was in 2014 when there were 12 confirmed suicides.
The numbers were similar to the road toll. In Rotorua, from 2020 to 2023, there were four, seven, eight and nine deaths on the roads each year respectively. In Taupō, during the same period, there were 12, 9, 21 and 12 deaths each year respectively.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.