"Wahine Mātātoa" a powerful and entertaining play

“This is the story telling that I remember sitting at the feet of my aunties. It is who we are. It is why I would love to see it shared across all of Aotearoa.” - Tā Ian Taylor

I highly recommend this play - I found it a very powerful experience. I would encourage all to go - especially everyone whose work involves addressing in-equites and te ao Māori. 

About the play:

A wahine sets the past on fire - and ignites the future... An endearing story will leave a deep impression long after you leave the theatre.
Ōtepoti-based director, acting coach, and playwriter Cindy Diver (Kāi Tahu) proudly presents her award winning play Wāhine Mātātoa: The (Mostly) True Story of Erihāpeti Pātahi. This rollicking play of dual timelines blends humour and heartfelt moments to celebrate the connections between our past and present. A comedy of consequences, Wahine Mātātoa tells the story of our wāhine Kāi Tahu across time and space, where the protagonist, a present day teenager Elizabeth, navigates how to balance decisions that could potentially end her dreams of adventure. “Ka mua, ka muri”, walking backwards into the future, Elizabeth calls upon the (mostly) true stories of her ancestor, Erihāpeti Pātahi, a high born, high-spirited wahine, a force as untameable as the sea.

A live taoka pūoro artist and four actor actors slide gracefully between the 16 characters in this emotional rollercoaster that will on the edge of your seat, as Angela Trolove reviewed for Theatreview “My eyes well with tears… I remain in my seat, blown away.”

What people say:

“Beautifully encapsulates the binding power of whakapapa to connect us through time… I could write a book on the effect Wāhine Mātātoa has had on me.” - Piupiu Maya Turei (Theatreview 22/06/22)
“Wahine Mātātoa prompts us to own our history and shelve any sense of cultural whakama.” - Marion Poole ODT 24/06/24