KIWI COURAGE
Tararua Tramping Club, 4 Moncrieff St, Mt Victoria, Wellington
11/07/2022 - 22/07/2022
Production Details
Written By Amalia Calder
Directed by Amalia Calder & Fergus Aitken
Presented by KidzStuff Theatre
KidzStuff brings the well-known Māori myth of How Kiwi Lost Its Wings to the stage these July holidays.
“You kiwi, because of your great sacrifice, you will become the most well known and most loved bird of them all.” From the writer who brought you Jessica Bo Peep and Hansel and Gretel, this is an adaptation of the Māori legend of ‘How the kiwi lost its wings’.
Kiwi has some wonderful forest friends who love to play games and enjoy being beautiful birds. ‘Go home, stay home’ is a favourite of the forest.
One day though, Tānemahuta walks through the forest. He notices that his children, the trees, are getting sick from all the bugs eating them on the forest floor. He needs the birds’ help, but they just want to have fun. Will anyone help save the trees?
A fun lively journey through the forest to save our trees with our favourite New Zealand birds and KidzStuff these holidays.
Wellington actors, Tom (The Pied Piper, Badjelly, Pirates vs Ninjas) and Haydn (Badjelly), return to KidzStuff one again. Tom’s 4th & Haydn’s 2nd time! Nina joins us fresh from Basement Youth Theatre in Palmerston North and this will be here first professional show, which we are super excited to foster. Rongopai is a Toi Whakaari graduate and this will be her first show with us.
Tararua Tramping Club, 4 Moncrieff St, Mt Victoria, Wellington
11th – 22nd July 2022
Monday – Friday 10am & 11:30am
10am shows only on Saturdays!
Tickets $12.50 pp, Children under 2 Free
$7 Special Preview, Saturday 9th July 2022
Bookings: www.kidzstufftheatre.co.nz
Instagram: @Kidzstufftheatre
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kidzstufftheatre
Website: http://www.kidzstufftheatre.co.nz/
CAST
Kiwi – Rongopai Tickell
Ruru – Tom Kereama
Pīpīwharauroa – Hadyn Carter
Puke/Tuī – Nina Kereama-Stevenson
Voice overs: Gareth Tiopira-Waaka
CREW
Directors: Amalia Calder & Fergus Aitken
Technical Manager: Mady King
Front of House: Riley Brophy
Cultural Advisor: Gareth Tiopira-Waaka
Set and Props: Amalia Calder & Fergus Aitken
Graphic Design: Iris Aitken
Music: Amalia Calder & Chrysalynn Calder
Costumes: Heather Mooney
Financial Manager: Fergus Aitken
Creative Director/Producer/Publicity: Amalia Calder
Children’s , Family , Theatre ,
50 mins
Revealing parallels between birds and humans
Review by Margaret Austin 10th Jul 2022
I kid myself I’m grown up, but it doesn’t take much to remind me that’s an illusion. I’m at the Tararua Tramping Club for the first performance of Kiwi Courage, the latest Kidzstuff holiday show, and the only difference between me and the early arriving children is that I don’t make at once for the mat in front of the performance space.
The play is written and directed by Amalia Calder. She has assembled a cast of brightly clad players to represent native birds. My knowledge of Te Reo doesn’t run to recognising the all names in the programme – but there’s Kiwi (Rongopai Tickell), Ruru (Tom Kereama), Pipiwharauroa (Haydn Carter) and Puke/Tui (Nina Kereama-Stevenson.
A voiceover – Tānemahuta (Gareth Tiopira-Waaka) – pleads for respect for the forest. We’re in one, where these birds live and fly about and do everything that birds do, and we’re going to spend a night and a morning there. One by one they fly onstage – each has a unique personality and behaviour. Ruru tends to fall asleep in the middle of the action, Puke might put a sticking plaster on a weta’s bottom, and Pipiwharauroa turns out to be a bully and troublemaker.
The evolving story reveals telling parallels between birds and humans. There’s friendship, fear, bullying – and guilt. Singing and dancing help the action along. Some of the mat sitters join in.
“Will you come down from the forest roof and protect the forest floor?” comes the challenge put to all our feathered friends. “If no one does, who will keep the trees alive as home for the birds?”
Will anyone put their wing up? There are evasions and excuses. Guess who volunteers? There is a price to pay, but our favourite bird willingly agrees to foot the bill.
This play is aptly named, and all children – and parents – should see it.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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