Savage Coloniser Heads North & South Ahead Of First International Season

The Savage Coloniser Show (Part Two of National Tour) Written by Tusiata Avia MNZM. Directed by Anapela Polata'ivao ONZM Following its sell-out season earlier this year at the Aotearoa NZ Festival Of The Arts, having played to packed houses all over the country, The Savage Coloniser Show tours to WORD Christchurch Festival in Tusiata Avia’s hometown of Ōtautahi (9 - 13 September) and to Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival (10 October). The production will then make is international debut at the Seoul Performing Arts Festival 2024 (19 - 20 October).

Red-sequinned dusky maidens train their sights on James Cook, Samoan school girls play an innocent game of patty-cake as they describe the atrocities on Nauru, and a Tour Guide offers instructions on how to be in a room full of white people. Fierce, furious and fabulously unforgiving, The Savage Coloniser Show is theatre that is as provocative as it is necessary.

Under the artful direction of the formidable Anapela Polata’ivao, Tusiata Avia’s unapologetic examination of race and racism is full of bold humour, courage and lacerating truths. The production brings to ferocious life Tusiata’s The Savage Coloniser Book, for which she became the first female Pasifika poet to take out the Ockham Award for poetry.

“With characteristic savage and stylish wit, Avia holds the word-blade to our necks and presses with a relentless grace. At the end, you’ll feel your pulse anew.” — Selina Tusitala Marsh, NZ Poet Laureate

The multi-award winning performer and director Anapela Polata’ivao who has recently been the recipient of an ONZM for her services to Pacific Performing Arts, leads a fierceless ensemble of six astonishing performers, all of whom have been with the production since its 2023 premiere. The cast includes Stacey Leilua (Wild Dogs Under My Skirt/Young Rock), Petmal Petelo     (Wild Dogs Under My Skirt/Things That Matter), Joanna Mika-Toloa (Wild Dogs Under My Skirt/The Factory), Ilaisaane Green (Wild Dogs Under My Skirt/Red, White & Brass film), Mario Faumui (Co-founder Fine Fatale, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt choreograher) and Katalaina Polata’ivao-Saute who made her acting debut in the 2023 Auckland Arts Festival season.

The Savage Coloniser Show tour follows the award-winning production of Tusiata Avia’s Wild Dogs Under My Skirt which trimphantly presented a three-week New York season in 2020, a national tour with PANNZ, and more recently a two-week tour in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. PANNZ is delighted with the success of Wild Dogs Under My Skirt and to be working closely with the company again. With a commitment to fostering and growing a sustainable touring network for professional NZ work, PANNZ has been instrumental in forging partnerships for the upcoming national and international performances of The Savage Coloniser Show.

“Our international partners are excited by the unique work they see being made in Aotearoa from our incredible performing arts makers, the perspective of our makers cannot be found anywhere else - so providing pathways for our words and voices to be heard, internationally, is so rewarding.

It is such an honour to support creatives like Anapela Polataivao, Director, Tusiata Avia, Poet/Writer, and Executive Producer Victor Rodger to bring their works to kiwi audiences first and foremost, before they enthral the world stage with their shows”, says Louise Gallagher, PANNZ CEO.

Originally commissioned by and premiered at Auckland Arts Festival 2023 the National tour is supported by Creative New Zealand, produced by FCC and presented as part of the PANNZ (Performing Arts Network New Zealand) touring programme.

Recommended for ages 14+. The content of this show touches on important but difficult historical - societal themes such as colonisation, slavery, genocide, sexual abuse and racism. Contains strong language.

“…this is a production of unparalleled excellence.” – The Spinoff

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