Let me tell you about the time I fell in love with a pirate. To be more specific, it was the development season of The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate – The Musical, part of the 2024 New Zealand Fringe Festival, and the best example of glorious hidden treasure you can find when supporting new Wellington theatre initiatives.

Produced then by Muz-act Theatre Co, and led by creative genius, writer Nino Raphael, this high-energy, rollicking sea-shanty fun has now been remounted by Continuum Theatre co. It has extended its fanbase to the child-friendly audience of more pirate lovers who were able to beg, borrow or buy their tickets early enough to attend this short sold-out season – and has brightened all of our weekends.

For a 90-minute show, including interval, I am impressed with the quality and quantity of songs, characters, props and instruments juggled together to catapult us into our beloved childhood classic story by another Kiwi legend, Margaret Mahy – writer of over 100 titles, translated and loved all over the world.

It makes sense to me that this famous work should be to translated into sea shanties and a musical adventure. After all, as we hear at Two/FiftySeven, “The way stories usually go, they start with a song”, and we can’t help singing along – especially to our favourite brain worm, the ‘Full Time Pirate’ overture. 

Our venue is transformed with wall to ceiling seafaring devices, colourful artworks, flags and lights strung from the ceiling like fish netting, as we sing along to more favourites, like ‘Song of the Sea’ and ‘What do you do when you sail a wheelbarrow’.

I miss the cosy acoustics of the Welsh Dragon Bar and the real piano used previously. It was also easier to see the action from two sides instead of four, but the bigger space plus clever lighting definitely has its benefits, and the performers bring all the energy and colour needed to capture our attention throughout.

They invite children to dance on stage, and many of them can’t stop dancing.

Our Pirate Mother (Jo Hodgson) makes a fierce entrance, while Sam (Finlay Morris) and Mr Fat (Stuart Coats) set the scene and need for adventure to escape the business attire and financial politics of this crazy world that we all seek escape from. 

Fearless Pirate Jenny (Isobel Lee) leads a tight ship with her engaging storytelling, dancing and sword swinging wit, encouraged by the Rosy Pirate Captain (Mike McKeon), making us feel very safe and comfortable in this well-planned rambunctious chaos across the high seas, no doubt organised immaculately by creative producer James Ladanyi.

After a suspenseful wait, Aimee Sullivan’s time comes to shine as the Rugged Pirate, beard model and passionate cow farmer, all of which are given a very ‘mooving’ performance.

Bringing these delights to fruition, we have director Sara Brodie and musical director Hayden Taylor to thank, with Hayden on keys, Andreus Lepper on percussion, Beans Wright on fiddle, and creator Nino Raphael on bass and guitar.

I’d been waiting until this very weekend for the return of The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate – The Musical, and with their limited return season of four shows, I’m already grieving its quick departure and hoping for more. Hopefully a longer show, to build on the many great songs and characters I have come to look forward to.

I can’t wait to see where they sail to next.

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