PŌTAE
A moving inter-generational drama and love story chronicling the origin and journey of a hat as it moves through a family across a lifetime (over 70 years). The play explores the bonds of love and whānau as well as the pain of loss through wars, immigration, imprisonment, and colonisation. Written in English, Te Reo Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language, the play weaves multiple languages, spans the country and globe from Dunedin to Wairewa to Cairo, Egypt, and moves fluidly through time: past, present, and future.
WINNER (1st Equal) – New Zealand Playwrights’ Association of New Zealand Long Play Competition 2019.
… well crafted structurally, sophisticated … and theatrically engaging … the characters are interesting and multi-dimensional. Pōtae is driven by strong female characters, and we are held by their secrets and sacrifices” – Lori Leigh
