Tauranga Arts Festival: Young Rock star Stacey Leilua performs in ‘The Savage Coloniser’

The cast of The Savage Coloniser. Photo / Raymond Sagapolutele

After working alongside superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Stacey Leilua is back in New Zealand and coming to Tauranga to perform in The Savage Coloniser. The prolific New Zealand theatre actor has been a core member of the Kila Kokonut Krew since 2005. She spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times about the show, her drive to tell Pasifika stories and sharing her craft with her daughter.

“Before you know it, the tears are streaming and you’re quietly enraged.”

That’s the experience actor Stacey Leilua hopes audiences will take away with them after seeing her latest show.

She has returned to New Zealand to star in theatre show The Savage Coloniser after working with superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson when she starred as his mother, Ata, in the US sitcom series based on his life, Young Rock.

Leilua will star alongside Frankie Adams in the show, which is based on Tusiata Avia’s book by the same name.

Directed by Anapela Polata’ivao, it tackles ideas of racism with bold comedy and courage.

The production is coming to the Bay of Plenty as part of the Tauranga Arts Festival, which starts today and runs until October 29 with a wide variety of creative talents to be showcased.

Q&A with Stacey Leilua

What can people expect from your show? What do you want people to take away from it?

By definition, colonisation is the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area. The Savage Coloniser is an honest response to that process, and to a system that we have all grown up in.

The spell of Tusiata’s writing is the beauty of her words, placing the poetry and imagery so delicately, and then it’ll just slice you right open.

Before you know it, the tears are streaming and you’re quietly enraged. I think that’s what I want people to take away from seeing the show. To go on that journey with us and walk out of the theatre with a different outlook on life.

What are you most looking forward to about the Tauranga Arts Festival?

Presenting this work to a new audience. It’s a reclamation of the space, of our narrative. It feels like we have a gift to present to this specific area, performing in Te Tauranga Moana - and giving back to the ancestors of Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Pūkenga.

Ultimately, it should remind us of the ownership we have over our past and looking forward to a changed future.

Can you briefly outline what led you to where you are in your career today? Did you ever think you would be where you are today?

Discovering a love of acting in high school as a 15-year-old, studying at drama school for three years, and then aligning myself with the creative force that is Anapela Polata’ivao (director of The Savage Coloniser) and continuing to nourish that creative relationship over multiple stage and screen projects for 21 years now.

I have always gravitated towards telling Pasifika stories, and was part of the ensemble cast of Tusiata Avia’s first play, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt.

What is your proudest moment when it comes to your craft?

When I get to share my craft with my daughter. Whether it’s in the rehearsal room for a theatre show in Auckland or all the adventures we’ve had together while travelling and filming Young Rock. Being able to share those experiences with her are memories I’ll have forever.

What advice do you have for other creatives?

Find your “why”. Having a career in the arts is not an easy path to take, but it can enrich your life in so many ways.

Understanding why you are doing it, and what is driving you can be a crucial cornerstone when it gets especially difficult.

The Savage Coloniser

When: October 28, 8pm.

Show time: 75 minutes.

Where: Addison Theatre, Baycourt.

Tickets: $20-$54, available at taurangafestival.co.nz.

Festival information

There are eight free and community events throughout the festival. Bookings for ticketed events can be made at Baycourt, through the festival’s website or via Ticketek.

Live music will be at Carrus Crystal Palace; theatre and comedy will be at Baycourt; and authors and thinkers at the University of Waikato Tauranga Campus and Books-A-Plenty.

The Cargo Shed will host several free events, including Tai Timu, Tai Pari, which provide a platform for local artists, Zinefest and a hip-hop street dance workshop and battle.

Tauranga Art Gallery will present Wunderboxes — an interactive art trail for all ages — as well as The Mermaid Chronicles 2.0 exhibition at the POP UP gallery at 42 Devonport Rd.

A walkable arts precinct has also been established.

Carrus Crystal Palace is a licensed venue and some events have age recommendations.

The Bay of Plenty Times is a gold sponsor of the Tauranga Arts Festival.

Cira Olivier is a social issues and breaking news reporter for NZME Bay of Plenty. She has been a journalist since 2019.