![]() ![]() Together, the short stories that unfold on the stage in front of me form an eloquent meditation on three generations, mortality and the passing of time, as well as reflecting our history with all the depth and the layers. We are led powerfully through the universe at Rongopai, the wharenui at Waituhi, Ihimaera’s home town. The 18 scenes in Witi’s Wāhine weave an intricate pattern through Ihimaera’s works, and the result is astonishing. Less than 10 minutes in, it’s clear Brunning (with Tanea Heke and their company Hāpai Productions) has left us an incredible gift. She was purposeful in crafting this work and has something important to say about Aotearoa.” Moetara, says, “Nancy was a brave and formidable force. That same year Brunning sadly died of cancer. Witi’s Wāhine was first staged in 2019, in a story of wāhine and whānau and the ties that hold us tight through our whakapapa. She was referring to the late and dearly missed Nancy Brunning (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tūhoe) whose craft helped bring Ihimaera’s female characters to live audiences. ![]() In a recent interview, Co-director Ngapaki Moetara said “Nāna te whare nei.” This is Nancy’s whare. “We can see you”, one of them confirms, and it’s as though she’s speaking to Ihimaera directly. They are Roimata Fox, Olivia Violet Robinson Falconer, Pehia King and Awhina-Rose Henare Ashby. ![]() Taoka like you need protecting.įour actors appear on the stage. When I steal another look a few minutes later, he has put on a mask. I spot Ihimaera sitting one row back and to the left, smiling in an orange cap and sleeveless jacket. The audience tonight is largely Māori and hums with a feeling of excitement and celebration. The lights on the audience are initially left up. There are 675 seats at the ASB Waterfront Theatre and it is not a small stage, yet when Witi’s Wāhine opened on Saturday night it might have been unfolding in someone’s living room. These ancient words are a warning, but they are also a gift, an elixir to bring ancient wisdom back to our world.” “‘Mā te wāhine, mā te whenua, ka ngaro te tangata’ – ‘by women, and land, do men perish’. Emma Hislop reviews Witi’s Wāhine by Nancy Brunning, currently playing at the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Auckland. ![]()
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