Heaven and Earth Rangi & Papa
Produced by Chantelle Brader for Little Green Man Productions
Written and Directed by Midge Perez
Musical Direction and Composition by Midge Perez
Choreographed by Te One Matthews
Puppet Design, Concept and Maker Sarah Burren
At Hawkins Theatre, 13 Ray Small Drive, Papakura
Auckland Shows Monday 26th at 6.30pm, Tuesday 27th June at 11am, 1.30pm
Admission by koha
Ko Te Kore
Te Kore te whiwhia
Te Kore te rawea
Te Kore I ai
Te Kore te wiwia
Na Te Kore Te Po
Te Po nui
Te Po roa
Te Po uriuri
Te Po kerekere
Te Po tiwhatiwha
Te Po te kitea
Te Po tangotango
Te Po whawha
Te Po namunamu ki taiao
Te Po tahuri atu
Te Po tahuri mai ki taiao
Ki te Whai ao
Ki te Ao marama
Tihei mauri ora
Thus the scene is set for this delightful black light puppet show for children – and for those of us who staunchly reject every suggestion that it might be time for us to grow up.
From the nothingness, through eons of a time not yet measured, to first life, this is the exciting journey of The Seven Sisters, of Matariki, the traditional Māori New Year. Here they are in front of us, in the flesh so to speak, Matariki herself (Tavai Puni Meleisea) with her sisters Tupu-ā-nuku (Mita Tupaea), Tupu-ā-rangi (Mita Tupaea), Waitī (Te Keepa Aria), Waitā (Te Keepa Aria), Uru-ā-rangi (Ani Nuku), and little Waipuna-ā-rangi (Ani Nuku) all set to tell an exciting new story, straight from the astoundingly creative mind of writer/director Midge Perez.
The Ministry of Culture and Heritage, that fount of all things wise about whakapapa, tells us that ‘Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster known as the Pleiades. Traditionally for Māori’ it informs, ‘when it appeared just before dawn in late May or early June, it signalled the start of the Māori New Year. For some tribes, the rising of Puanga (Rigel in Orion) signals the start of the New Year. In the early 2000s Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission), the Ministry of Education and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, became involved in the revival of Matariki celebrations. Different iwi’, we are advised, ‘celebrate Matariki at different times. For some it’s when Matariki rises in May and June. For others it’s celebrated at the first new moon, or full moon, following the rise of Matariki’. Since the beginning of the 21st century, tradition suggests it’s the new moon following the rising of Matariki that signals the start of the New Year but, as with most things human, not everyone agrees.
I arrive at the nicely appointed Hawkins Theatre to be confronted by a ‘SOLD OUT’ sign. What a joy it is to be able to say that about a show although it’s becoming more the rule than the exception here in Tāmaki Makaurau. I enter the dimly lit auditorium having been told to ‘sit wherever you like’. I take this advice and sit in the centre of row five. ‘Great view’, I think to myself, ‘perfect. Good to arrive 10 minutes early. More chance of the best seat when I do that’, I mutter into my attractive programme. There are a few people around, some adults, a few kids, not many.
Five minutes later I am buried in an avalanche of excited primary school-aged, small people and a number of good humoured yet superficially stern teachers who immediately set about seating the children properly. I shift to the left-hand end of row five when it becomes clear that having a big person – I feel enormous among the swarm of little’uns – sitting ostentatiously in the midst of the loud, animated crowd is inappropriate but mostly because a woman impersonating Nurse Gladys Emmanuel from ‘Open All Hours’ asks me accusingly which school I am with. I mumble ‘I’m reviewing the show’ and move immediately out of her purview.
It seems there are kids for miles, kids with miles of smiles and chatter. The smallest boy in the world sits next to me and engages me in intelligent conversation largely in te reo. I do my best but his ‘are you a girl or a boy’ flummoxes me as it always does. ‘I’m a girl’ I say in the voice I save for moments like these, a cross between Paul Robeson playing Dottor Dulcamara in Donizetti’s ‘L’elisir d’amore’ and the final moments of a bath emptying. He nods, loses interest, and later falls off his seat, disappearing into the darkness much to the amusement of all around him. Except me. I am concerned. I assume everyone will blame me, but life simply carries on. Disaster averted
Little Green Man Productions have created a magical, glow-in-the-dark puppet show and it’s truly enchanting. I’ve seen black light shows before and I’ve always come away disappointed. The magic is easily broken by bumbling puppeteers visible in the semi-darkness but that simply isn’t the case with these performers, they’re all class. Not once did I see a body behind, over or underneath the puppets, nor did I hear the sound of cloddish feet thundering across the stage. It was totally silent and all that was visible were Sara Burren’s beautifully manipulated and exquisitely choreographed creatures and all that was audible was exquisite singing, music and storytelling.
It’s a simple narrative. The littlest sister star, Waipuna-ā-rangi, seems to have a bit of a head cold, certainly the snuffles, and having kept her otherwise snoring sisters awake for ages by bouncing them, choreographically, all over the night sky with her sneezing, she eventually sneezes herself out of the sky and down to earth where she finds all is not well.
She meets an irascible Kiwi who thinks he’s a cow (Ani Nuku and Tavai Puni Meleisea), a fish who thinks he’s a dog and a glowworm that meows (Mita Tupaea). Then comes Mr Scary himself the haututu Taniwha (Te Keepa Aria). We’ve been warned in the pre-show welcome not to be scared of the taniwha so we’re not – and we have no reason to be. He’s actually a bit of a darling and when Waipuna-ā-rangi meets him it’s as though he’s more scared of her than she is of him. Matariki and her other big sisters come to earth to rescue their little sis but it’s the little sis who has to educate her older and bigger siblings about Taniwha and how he’s actually quite nice. Getting back to the heavens is a challenge until Taniwha has the bright idea to call on the services of his mate Tāwhirimateā to blow them, with his winds and storms, back to their home in the sky. It’s not that easy or that successful as an idea until the tamariki in the audience are asked to help – one of many times throughout the show that they volubly assist – and then, of course, the idea becomes the best idea ever when it works.
While the plot is at times a bit clunky (Midge Perez) no-one seems to care and the songs, music and keyboards (also the multi-talented Midge Perez) are fabulous throughout. The narrative is begun, interspersed and ended – clever little bookends – by a massive Io, God of the Universe (Mita Tupaea) puppet who connects the luminescent dots and makes the whole thing work a treat.
‘Earth and Heaven Rangi & Papa’ is a great concept theatrically and a splendid way of introducing young people to the traditions of Matariki, not that this audience needed much, they were beautifully prepared by teachers and engaged 120% throughout. I was fortunate too, in that, had there been a subtlety I may have missed, the clever, albeit tiny, young dude next to me kept me fully informed and I reciprocated, when asked, with details about the technicals. How wonderful being five years old and already steeped in your culture to a degree that you feel comfortable sharing that knowledge with a less-than-perfect adult stranger.
Puppet shows live or die on the quality of the puppets and the ability and flair of the puppeteers. No worries here because Sarah Burren’s puppets are superb and the puppeteers skilled, talented and committed. Considering how technical the show is to bring it to fruition with nary a bump in the dark is certainly a grand achievement. Disbelief is suspended for the full 40 minutes that make up the show, and the delicious after-show chat, and every facet of the production was more than enjoyable
It’s worthy of mention that, of the Matariki Festival shows I’ve seen so far and there are a number still to come, almost all have featured performers and production personnel who have had formal performance training whether its via M.I.T, PIPA, Unitec, Toi Whakaari, NASDA or The New Zealand School of Dance or, like Sarah Burren, extensive, often international, professional experience. There’s a new benchmark being set in Tāmaki Makaurau and this is incredibly exciting to witness and to feel a part of.
‘Heaven and Earth Rangi & Papa’ is suitable for all ages and is now heading to Wellington. Keep an eye out for it and be prepared to invest some of your time in checking it out. You won’t be disappointed. It’s charming and fun and, when it comes to Matariki, you won’t find anything else like it anywhere in the world.
dykiegirl 