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ISLAND
PLAYERS WITH TARO KING & ISLAND GIRLS |
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Edited Release by Vela Manusaute |
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Auckland has seen the birth
of a brand new theatre company when the island players launched
themselves with two plays at the Maidment Studio. The Taro King by
Vevela Manusaute and Island Girls by Oscar Kightely marked the further
development of contemporary Polynesian theatre in Aotearoa and featured
some promising and some already established faces.
The company’s Artistic Director, Oscar Kightely has already been
involved with Polynesian theatre through Christchurch based Pacific
Underground and the highly successful Naked Samoans. He says the idea
of the company is to get more regular Polynesian theatre on in Auckland
and to associate the demand of a growing audience for these stories.
“There was a lot of theatre with a pacific flavour from the mid to the
late 90s thanks to companies like Pacific Underground and Pacific
Theatre. Since then writers working on their own have added to the
repertoir with lots of independent companies. So all we’re doing is
adding more work to the mix,” said Kightely.
“Many of our established actors are getting high profiles through stage
and television work but there are still empty slots in their work
schedule so we want to provide a work for them.
“There are also many talented young Polynesian actors graduating from
institutions keen to do some theatre but finding it hard to get
started.
“A few of us around today got where we are through just putting plays
on and by learning and making our mistakes in public.
“It’s sometimes a painful way to learn but we’ve come through it and
now have a responsibility to create work for the next wave who need
something to get their teeth into.
“This isn’t my company, but rather something that’s been created by a
small group of Pacific Island actors and writers who just want to see
home grown stories on stage with a Polynesian flavour.”
Kightely said the talent on show in the two plays is diverse and ranges
from exciting new comers to wise old heads but the driving force is a
desire to work and tell more Pacific Island stories.
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The Taro King by Vevela Manusaute and Island Girls by Oscar
Kightely marked the birth of a new theatre company when the
Island Players launched themselves at the Maidment Studio. |
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The Taro King presents a new breed of Pacific Island fresh
talent and included in the mix of twenty is our favourite Indian
comedian / actor / writer Raj Varma. |
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Island Girls featured Fiona Truelove, Teuila Blakely, Anapela
Polataivao with ‘Naked Samoans’, Shimpal Lelisi, Mario Gaoa and
Wellingtons’ stripper from The Strip, Robbie Magasiva. |
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The Taro King is set in an
Otara supermarket and is about George Speights’ coup in Fiji and the
impact it has on the hopes and dreams of the store employees. This is a
drama/comedy about two kings from different kingdoms in search for the
land of milk and honey in South Auckland.
Island Girls is a darkly comic look at the trials and tribulations of
young Polynesian women whose freedom differs vastly to that of their
male counterparts. Indeed, one of their main trials and tribulation is
their male counterpart.
The two plays is an insight to greater things to come for the company
whose vision is to survive long term and make theatre with a Polynesian
flavour in the biggest Polynesian city in the world.
The Taro King presents a new breed of Pacific Island fresh talent
you’ve never seen on stage before and included in the mix of twenty is
our favourite Indian comedian / actor / writer Raj Varma.
Island Girls featured Fiona Truelove, Teuila Blakely, Anapela
Polataivao with the stars from Naked Samoans, Shimpal Lelisi, Mario
Gaoa and Wellingtons’ favourite stripper from The Strip, Robbie
Magasiva.
For more information about Island Players, contact Vela on (021)
152-6580
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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