Justine Simei-Barton: Ancient Samoan theatre, dance and a five-course feast

Justine Simei-Barton.

Pasifika producer and director Justine Simei-Barton revives an ancient Samoan theatre discipline in a new work that combines a dining experience

During the past few weeks I've been preparing to present my new work Takurua - Nafanua War Goddess, reviving a pre-colonial form of ancient Samoan theatre called fale aitu.

The unique performance and dining experience combines the retelling of the story of Nafanua, the Samoan goddess of war, through dance and theatre while audience members feast on a five-course meal of traditional delicacies.

Fale aitu is satirical political clowning. There's normally a spiritual sanction put on our performers that everyone understands. Fale aitu is spearheaded by clowns; they are the people's voice, ears and eyes. Their job is to turn the world upside-down. They challenge authority. If the people have anything that they're unhappy about, the political structure, or authority figures, it's the fale aitu that can address these issues. Aitu means ghost or spirit, and during fale aitu performances the lead actor becomes like a spirit while they are performing their roles, and this is what gives them sanction that allows them to parody authority figures in the village.

Samoan society is very hierarchical. You can get into trouble if you were to approach a high chief with freedom of speech. But you can do it with the fale aitu. They go from village to village, like journalists, and they do it in a comical fashion because laughter and comedy is a healing process. The message can be very hard but it's undercut with humour, because that's how we cope. Performers jump in and out of character and sometimes break the fourth wall. If the audience wants to interject to what's happening on the stage, they have the right to do it because they are a part of the performance. It's a call and response.

Takurua - Nafanua War Goddess is the sequel to the sold-out 2021 production of Battle of the Brothers. The initial idea to combine the tradition of food and performance came from my son, Tuasani Simei-Papali'i, who is also a chef and the artistic director of Nafanua.

The themes of the story will be directly connected to the food that will be served to the audience during the performances. Our identity is our culture, the food that we eat, the stories that we tell, is all told on the table. It's like the holy communion. There's a scene where King Saveasiʻuleo, from the underworld, has taken the taro and has kept it in the underworld because if you control the harvest, then you control the people. Through this scene we are taught the significance of taro and so at the end of that scene, there is a taro dish that is brought out and served. When the audience eat it, they will know the cultural significance and how it came about. They will be able to make the connection and understand why there are chants about it and why our gods have fought over this.

I wanted to tell the story of Nafanua because it's a positive story about women's empowerment and shows young Samoan youth that their heroes and heroines are just as good as any Marvel or Bible characters. Our young people learn about the Avengers so I felt it's important for them to see and experience their own history, their own Samoan heroes and heroines. I feel like I'm passing on something to them, in a world where Western conventions of storytelling are so dominant.

Nafanua is a revered figure in Samoan culture who led her forces to victory in a bloody civil war between Eastern and Western Samoa.  Nafanua was initially hidden. Na means hidden and fanua mean lands. She was a blood clot because she was premature. She was hidden in the land. It was the land, it was the sea creatures and nature that raised her.

Nafanua is a woman who led a war party of men. They didn't know she was a woman. Her sex was hidden and she fought in secret. The empowerment of women can be hidden and suppressed until the moment when it's revealed and everyone is star-struck.

To perform and tell the story of Nafanua, we called upon the Pasifika women's dance collective, Ura Tabu, which includes my 29-year-old daughter, Kolopa. These women hold a lot of culture, wisdom, and knowledge that is embodied in their movement and their dance. I've called upon them because they are women that empower other women.

My husband is Paul Simei-Barton, a renowned writer and theatre critic. We keep the professional, sacred circle around our own work so that we don't step on each other's mahi – and that's why we are still married after 35 years. I initially studied law but graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Studies from the University of Auckland, and then earned a post-graduate diploma in broadcasting. My career has involved writing and directing for theatre and film and establishing the Pasifika-focused creative arts company, Tala Pasifika Productions. I am looking to step back. Nafanua is a space for me to say to the Pasifika women in the performing arts: "I want you to be empowered. You don't have to hide anymore. Come forward, present yourself and take your place."

As told to Aroha Awarau

Takurua - Nafanua War Goddess  will be showing at Hunua Rooms, Aotea Centre, from Thursday, July 14 to Saturday, July 23 as part of Elemental Festival.