Awhi Tapu
Directed by Leo Gene Peters
Downstage Theatre, to July 30
Reviewed by Lynn Freeman
Eight years on from when Albert Beltz wrote Awhi Tapu its themes are as relevant as ever. It looks at the impact on small town New Zealand of industry closures, in this case of forestry in the Ureweras. It’s about the human spirit, the will to survive, love, loyalty and loss, and how good people can do dangerous things when pushed too hard. Beltz has updated the script and while not referencing it, somehow the police raids on this land of mist permeates the play too.
Four actors play a multitude of roles, the main ones being friends Wendyl (James Tito), Casper (Matariki Whatarau), Sonny (Tola Newbery) and Girl Girl (Kura Forrester). They retell, through the device of imagining making a movie, a moment in time which changed everything for them.
They react, actually over-react, to the way their small town is changing. First they try to kidnap their nanny who’s been taken to a rest home in Roto-Vegas. But unlike the youngsters she helped to raise, she enjoys life outside the town. So do many of their peers who’ve left. Those who stay feel desperate to save Awhi Tapu, to make it the new Jerusalem, and go about making it a beacon – literally. They resent the Pakeha interlopers scooping up bargain basement holiday homes and decide to teach them a lesson.
All four actors, under the director of Leo Gene Peters, invest all their energy and hearts into the play and they offer us a moving and memorable night at the theatre.
Full credit also to the technical team – Nathan McKenry’s lighting is out of this world, simple and effective, thanks also to Thomas Press’ evocative soundscapes and Rose Kirkup’s inventive set.
Having just seen the latest Harry Potter film the night before with all the multi-squillion dollars imaginable, this simple storytelling packed much more of an emotional punch









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