Stars revolve through the cosmos, constellations coalesce and life takes hold in Wai=Rua A Line=Near – an absorbing, contemplative exploration of Matariki. A joint presentation by Dunedin entities afterburner and Ruaimoko Trust, the 40-minute piece is a fusion of Maori creation myths and quantum physics.

Devised by a team of senior kapa haka and theatre students, technicians and graduates of the University of Otago theatre studies programme, Wai=Rua A Line=Near is a sensory experience that takes observers to a quiet space outside day-to-day pressures.

Almost wordless, Wai=Rua A Line=Near does not provide a linear narrative, but instead creates a dreamscape through movement, kapa haka, and extraordinary architectural lighting, accompanied by the haunting sounds of taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments).

Led by Ngai Tahu artist Rua McCallum, of Ruiamoko Trust, the performance team of Rawiri Bishop, Tia Waitai-Henare, Shannon van Rooijen, and Domonic Houlihan, move softly around the darkened space and fulfil an array of roles. Carrying pinpoint lights, they represent stars coalescing into the Matariki constellation, while at other times they are proud Maori warriors, or powerful elemental forces.

Throughout the show, a haze fills the darkened space of Allen Hall Theatre, providing the perfect medium to highlight the mesmerising lighting design of afterburner’s Martyn Roberts, with additional design by Anna Sinton and Audrey Morgan.

Beams of light stab the dark in intricate patterns, fractal shapes shift and swirl, and at times we seem to be hurtling through space. It is an expansive and technically brilliant display.

Light also plays a role among the performers, who use small hand-held spot lights to great effect. And during one particularly notable passage, red-lit poi shimmer and swirl, evoking the burning surfaces of suns moving through the cosmos.

The overall effect of the movement and the shifting, swirling lighting are overlaid by the haunting strains of koauau (flute), purerehua (blade swung from a long chord), and other taonga puoro instruments. Most are played live by Rawiri Bishop, Shannon van Rooijen and Dominic Houlihan, while some recordings by Alistair Fraser are also used.

The alignment of traditional and contemporary performance, technical effects and the randomness of quantum concepts makes Wai=Rua A Line=Near a unique experience, which engages all the senses while allowing the mind to roam free across the universe.

A fantastic way to mark Dunedin’s increasingly diverse annual Puaka Matariki Festival, Wai=Rua A Line=Near continues at Allen Hall Theatre tonight (June 24) and Saturday (June 25) at 7.30pm, with a matinee at 2.30pm on Saturday. 

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer