Hinepau in te reo comes to Gisborne

STORY BROUGHT TO LIFE: Reuben Butler as Rua, Kimberley Skipper as Hinepau and Amanda Noblett as Hera blend theatre, te reo, song and dance in the first performance in Gisborne at Te Wharau School as part of the New Zealand Schools Tour. Pictures by Rebecca Grunwell

A TOURING production of Hinepau, a play based on a mythical story about respecting your environment and staying true to yourself came to Te Wharau School yesterday, the first in a series of performances happening in Gisborne over the next few days.

Blending theatre, te reo, song and dance, it took a packed school hall on a journey where Hinepau is cast out of her tribe and sent to live alone in the forest.

The play is adapted from a classic children’s book written by Gavin Bishop, published in 1993.

The story is about a girl who does not seem to fit in with her hapu. Her hair is bright red, her eyes are deep green and all her weaving is inside out and back to front.

Though she tries to hide her differences, her tribe decide Hinepau must be a witch, and send her to live alone in the forest. But when disaster strikes the village, Hinepau may just be the only one who can save them.

With the use of a few simple props, including artificial flax bushes, the plumage of a variety of birds and in the final scene's bird-like wings that the actors use in a dance, the play is told in te reo Maori.

Amanda Noblett, who plays Hera, said she was happy she to be able to incorporate some dance into the play along with the singing and acting, as she has done a lot of dance and kapa haka as a student of Whitireia Performing Arts in Wellington.

Describing her character, Kimberley Skipper said Hinepau was a bit weird but the message was it’s ok to be different.

“You are one of a kind like Hinepau. You don’t have to be someone you’re not. People should accept you for who you are.”

Reuben Butler said his character Rua thinks he is the man but he destroys the land, bringing despair.

“He is graciously saved by Hinepau who teaches him how to lead his people with mana. There is a message to be yourself but to look after others and the earth and sea,” he said.

Fourth cast member Jeremy Davis said that even though it is in te reo Maori, the kids still understood the jokes.

“It was good for them to have a giggle. Having it in Maori holds the mana of the play. Even at schools that don’t speak the language, they seem to get it.”

Miss Noblett said the message of the play was to be yourself and express yourself.

“Believe in yourself because you are amazing, you’ve got the whole world in your hands.”

Hinepau is produced by Capital E and Taki Rua, New Zealand’s oldest Maori theatre company, based in Wellington.

The cast is Kimberley Skipper, Amanda Noblett, Jeremy Davis, who are graduates of Whitireia Performing Arts in Wellington, and Reuben Butler who graduated from Toi Whakaari-New Zealand Drama School.

“This is the sort of story I want to tell. I want to educate our tamariki,” Mr Butler said.

While many of the students at Te Wharau might not speak Maori, he hoped they could connect with the characters and understand some of the comedic physical theatre.

The play is touring the country and while here will visit Mangapapa School, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ngai Uri a Maui, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Horouta Wananga and Gisborne Intermediate School. The Gisborne performances are fully funded by Eastland Community Trust.