Witi’s Wahine celebrates the Ihimaera characters

EAST COAST TRIBUTE: This new vision for Witi’s Wāhine takes on a new poignancy following the devastation of the East Coast by Cyclone Gabrielle, which has directly affected members of the team and their whānau. Picture supplied

Experience the brilliance of Witi’s Wāhine, a theatrical taonga and an uplifting love song to the wāhine toa of the East Coast who inhabit celebrated Maori author Witi Ihimaera’s celebrated writing.

The story crafted by late Aotearoa actress Nancy Brunning, will be performed at the ASB Waterfront theatre from May 2 to 21.

Witi’s Wāhine is Nancy Brunning’s loving celebration of the women of the East Coast, Te Tairāwhiti, that Ihimaera writes of so vividly.

Lifting from the page and bringing to the stage a series of vignettes that champion the strong women who are the backbone of their communities and families.

 Witi’s Wāhine promises to take audiences on an epic journey through the worlds of the characters from some of Ihimaera’s most powerful stories, including The Whale Rider, The Parihaka Woman, The Matriarch, Pounamu Pounamu and Woman Far Walking. 

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The play will be helmed by visionary directors Ngapaki Moetara (Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Whanaunga) and Teina Moetara (Rongowhakaata, Ngāpuhi) who have created a new production, anchored in the whenua of Ihimaera’s upbringing and the wharenui central to the stories, Rongopai. 

To create their expansive new production for the big stage at ASB Waterfront Theatre, Ngapaki, and Teina have assembled a brilliant creative team including award-winning fashion designer Sandra Tupu, production designer Penny Fitt, and lighting designer William Smith.

The cast stars some of Aotearoa’s most in-demand actors: Roimata Fox (Ngāti Porou, Rongomaiwahine) (Waru, Muru), Awhina-Rose Henare Ashby (Ngāpuhi; Ngāti Hine) (Whina, Rūrangi), Pehia King (Ngãti Maniapoto, Ngaati Mahuta ki te Hauaauru), Olivia Violet Robinson-Falconer (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) who are joined by a tira (ensemble) of six wāhine from Te Tairāwhiti.

They are committed to getting the cast to physically experience the East Coast and come more into the work from a holistic place.

 The Moetaras have insisted on having their initial rehearsals to be held at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in Gisborne for two weeks — and they arrive next week.

 This new version of Witi’s Wāhine is a collaboration between Auckland Theatre Company and Hāpai Productions, led by award-winning producer, director, and actor Tanea Heke MNZM (Ngāpuhi nui tonu, Ngāti Rangi, Te Uri Taniwha, Ngāti Hineira). 

Hāpai was established by Heke and the late, great Nancy Brunning to uplift Māori stories and opportunities on stage and behind the scenes. 

Coincidently, this year also marks 50 years of writing for Witi Ihimaera and his first novel Tangi has been revised and updated to make a new 50th Anniversary Edition and will be released on June 6.

‘We will send you home thinking about your nannies, aunties, sisters, mothers, and cousins and everything they do for you’ — excerpt from Witi’s Wāhine.