Playmarket: Three Pasifika plays, reviewed

The eight-play Tala series is a publishing initiative launched last year by Creative New Zealand and Playmarket | He Rōpū Tautoko Tito Whakaari o Aotearoa, publishing Pasifika plays to make them available for New Zealand audiences. Playmarket Director Murray Lynch had this to say about the series: 'Our 2023 survey of theatres showed 89% of works were New Zealand plays, with 12% from Pasifika creatives. This series adds to the available works and I expect the Tala series will be warmly received by theatres hungry for local content.' Kete is excited to publish reviews for three of these plays, Still Life with Chickens by DF Mamea, Birds by Dianna Fuemana, and Urban Hymns by Miria George. Still Life With Chickens by DF Mamea - reviewed by Rebecca Puni Still Life With Chickens is a realistic portrayal of an elderly Samoan woman living in 'the promised land'. After reading it I felt sad and homesick. Sad because I’ll be Mama when I’m old. The children I took away from Samoa to give a better life will have abandoned me and I’ll be left talking to an animal for company. Although I would never choose a chicken because they are so valea (stupid). Or a cat because they are selfish. I would have a dog. A nice-looking, needy dog – the kind Palagi have as pets. This is one advantage of living the Palagi life abroad, you learn that an animal can be more than just food, or a pest terminator or security guard. It can be a companion during lonely times. Mama certainly understood this and it brought her some relief. I was left thinking, ‘Maybe I need to send my children back to Samoa so they will be immersed in a culture that still reveres the elderly?’ What I see nowadays is Samoans living in New Zealand treating their parents like a burden. They leave them alone and cold all day, staring at the TV staring back at them. When did they lose their way? From scene to scene the play carefully hints at the reality of the dichotomy between the Samoan culture in Samoa and the Samoan culture in New Zealand. I wish someone would just point blank call it out. As I read the play aloud to myself, Mama came alive and the familiarity of her thoughts and expressions was heartwarming. The play is true to the nuances of Samoan humour. I had a good laugh – but now I’m homesick. After shaking off my sad and homesick feelings I thought, ‘Right, if I don’t want to strangle my dear Samoan husband in our old age I better start training him to be more independent’. There’s not much time left so I better get started – he only has another 40 years to learn… Birds by Dianna Fuemana - reviewed by Tony Fe’ao Birds offers an insightful exploration of cultural identity and family dynamics within Pasifika communities in New Zealand. Drawing from her experiences as a child of Pacific Islands migrants, Fuemana’s characters and situations are certainly relatable, with the protagonist Tommy’s mother emerging as the star. The plight of a loving but misunderstood parent, doing their best for their children whilst dealing with their own brokenness, is a story that crosses all walks of life. Tommy’s decision to chase negative behaviour – including violence – as a coping mechanism reflects broader challenges young Pasifika men face regarding identity and societal pressures. The challenge of identity, having grown up not speaking the Niuean language, will particularly resonate with many 2nd and 3rd-generation Pasifika readers.

Tommy’s return to the islands marks a critical turning point, reconnecting him with his roots, and reflects the power that cultural connection and identity can play in anchoring the soul of a young person. The negative portrayal of white (Palagi) characters and their attitudes towards the central characters reinforces the play’s critique of systemic prejudice towards Pacific Island communities. Some explicit language and sexual themes may challenge conservative audiences, but despite these sensitivities, Birds is a thought-provoking coming-of-age play that depicts the challenges of cultural disconnection, the power of a loving parent, and the resilience of Pasifika communities.

Urban Hymns by Miria George - reviewed by Elizabeth Hosking Urban Hymns is a powerful collection of scenes that explores the challenges of life as a young person, but not from your usual perspective. George, a talented playwright and poet, brings together themes like survival, environmental degradation and resistance to truth, urging readers to think deeply about tough topics. The play dives into the lives of a group of urban young people who are enduring different struggles – financial issues, loss of identity and culture, the deterioration of their family unit. George’s writing style mixes poetic language with real-life stories, creating a unique blend that captures the emotions and the trials faced by her characters. George uses vivid descriptions and strong language to show both the pain and strength of her characters. The rhythm of her writing feels like music – matching the ‘hymns’ of the title, and giving a sacred, almost spiritual feel to the story she is telling. The voices in Urban Hymns are varied but all share a sense of standing up against injustice and the cards they were dealt, with the story focusing more on powerful ideas than traditional character development. Reading this play is like joining a deep conversation. George’s way of capturing the unsaid and unseen had a strong impact on me. One scene about changing the conversation and the norms of society really stood out and made me think differently about the world around me, and just how real people’s struggles can be. Reviews co-ordinated and edited by Shaun Bamber