Beware of how you market yourself – USO is not ‘Glee meets Boyz in the Hood’. It is a story from the streets of South Auckland addressing drugs, redundancy, pregnancy, desperation, hope and possible salvation. There is lots of music, mainly gospel, sung beautifully. 

The Black Friars company comes from South Auckland. You may have seen their Pacifica interpretation of Othello a couple of years ago. Now they have moved on from the Bard to tell their own stories.

They have woven USO from real events, but there are irritating plot holes where that weaving just falls apart. The director needed to take a much firmer hand honing the devised material. The play seriously lacks pace.

The on-stage chemistry amongst the cast is a pleasure to watch, the night club scene is cleverly portrayed, the singing is lovely, and the actors play directly from the heart. There is a spread of confidence and ability across the cast. They know what they want to say and it’s important we hear them, but we will listen more closely when we are more engaged in their productions. 
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The Black Friars, a theatre group based in South Auckland and made up of New Zealand-born Pacific actors, have brought to Wellington Uso, a lively if conventional melodrama spiced with rough comedy, a social message, and some fine singing. 

‘Uso’ is a Samoan noun meaning a brother, or a friend, or the ties of loyalty and brotherhood. This is clearly established in the play’s central character Lincoln (Vau Atonio) who has to come to terms with what he is going to do with his life.

Will he apply for a scholarship to go to university? Or follow his girlfriend Lani (Olive Asi) to Otago? Or leave school and go to Australia with his older brother and earn some desperately needed money to support their family? 

Poverty is central to the lives of the friends and brothers and Lincoln is pulled this way and that by Lani and by Siua (Lauie Sila) in particular who offers him an easy way out. “Legal doesn’t mean shit if you have to look after four kids” Siua tells him as he tries to persuade him to do a drug drop. 

His kindly friend Makisi (sympathetically played by Billy Revell) offers him his hard earned savings. And then there are complications in his relationship with Lani, and on top of all this there is Lincoln’s loyalty to the choir which is made up of friends and family; they hope to win a local Youth Church Choir competition.

The storytelling and the production are simply and straight forwardly done and the nine performers are appealing and make their presence felt. However, Uso never shakes off the aura of a drama created solely for the purpose of stimulating discussion amongst senior secondary school students. 
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Samoan for ‘brother’, Uso dramatises the brotherhood of first generation Pasifika males in South Auckland. This ‘gang of seven’ is on the cusp of adulthood and manhood, finishing high school, facing adult responsibilities – or not – and reverting to juvenile status games and playfulness as a defence mechanism, which makes for comedy with an edge of threat.

They also sing in a choir: gospel songs, a cappella, building towards a competition. Their exquisitely mellifluousness harmonies are the diametric opposite of the anxiety-riddled banter that so often seems a hair’s breadth away from erupting into violence. A compelling mix.

Writer/director Michelle Johansson and her Black Friars cast have created a rich 80 minutes of insightful drama, comedy and music. Being community theatre – primarily of, by and for – it is well worth taking to other communities. The issues, moral dilemmas and group dynamics confronted in Uso are universal, even if there is a particular way they play out in this full-of-life place. And if these are not the things that drive your life, you’re the better for knowing this is how it is for others. We’re all in this together, bro.  

The main focus is on Lincoln (Vau Atonio), the second son of a large family whose father took off to Australia years ago. His older brother Miles (Misipele Tofilau), who is the choir master and demands high standards, left school early and got a low-paid job to help their mother put food on the table. Lincoln’s job is to get a scholarship, go to university and get qualified for something that could earn some ‘real money’.

His study buddy is Makisi (Billy Revell), who is constantly mocked by those who presumably feel inferior so have to put him down. Lincoln’s girlfriend Lani (Olive Asi) is a truly bright light in his life and of course he wants to spend time with her. She wants them to escape to Otago University …  

The pressure increases when Miles loses his job, although some of the ‘brothers’ just see that as something more to joke about. Joe (George Latu), for example, turns to tinnies for escape and they all like to “man up” by hitting town and the club, to “stir up trouble”. Peer group pressure prevails.

An answer to the financial pressures is proffered by Siua (Lauie Sila), in the shape of ‘P’: the promise of a quick profit and a passport outa here … (yeah right). Moral dilemma: what would you do?

Dramatically structured and dynamically paced with sublime musical interludes, Uso reminds us why theatre was ever invented. As a play with a strong purpose, it does not claim to have the answers but no-one can leave without knowing what the questions are and feeling part of it, rather that apart from it.

Saia Folou, Uini Atpnio and Nafu Tofilau complete the cast. As an ensemble, all nine work together beautifully while taking full responsibility for delineating their own characters. There is great authenticity in the story and in the details of production. Even if the characters don’t always tell the truth, the actors certainly do.

Wellington, through Downstage, is lucky to see this show. The short 3-day season of 1pm matinees and 8pm evening shows deserves full houses.   
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