Seven Emerging Theatre Practitioners Take the Stage, with 4 Unique and Groundbreaking Plays.
Over three weeks in January & February 2023, Victoria University of Wellington’s MFA in Theatre students will present their annual festival of new work at BATS Theatre.
Seven MFA Theatre students will stage four productions, a culmination of a whole year's study in Creative Practice, where students learn an array of skills and practice becoming independent theatre practitioners.
Six-Degrees Festival 2023 presents three original plays: The Veil By Ezra Seiuli, Raru e Maruakaītā by What It Is and Timelines by CatHouse Aotearoa, as well as a child-centred production of Lynda Chanwai- Earle’s play Monkey.
Festival producer Kerryn Palmer says, ‘ It is fantastic to have three new plays written, directed and produced by the students this year, as well as a completely unique take on Lynda’s iconic play Monkey.”
Monkey was originally performed at the Capital E festival in 2004, by adult actors for children. In this production director and Chinese national, Sharon Li has taken the unusual approach of using colour-blind casting to challenge racial stereotypes and has cast a group of children aged 10-15 years old with no professional acting training.
The Veil is a physical theatre show interwoven with music and dance that speaks to the stereotypes and challenges that affect young Pasifika men. Written by local Porirua man Ezra Seiuli, The Veil is a 60-minute culturally immersive theatrical experience. With light refreshments provided, no one night will be the same, as the performers feed off the energy of the audience. The Veil delves deeply into the minds and hearts of young Pasifika men, their journey into adulthood and the secrecy that lies within that transition.
Another exciting new Pasifika voice is Poe Tiare Tararo, originally from Mauke, Poe Tiare working alongside fellow MFA Student and Production Manager Hannah Taylor present: Raru e Maruakaītā. Based on a traditional Cook Islands legend, this brand-new jukebox musical follows siblings Raru and Maruakaita as they explore grief, love, laughter and loss. The show incorporates a wide range of traditional and modern songs from many genres and time periods, as well as traditional Cook Islands dance and language.
In week three of the festival, BATS will be transformed into an immersive environment where audience members will be transported back in time to explore moments in the history of BATS. The audience will need to work together to travel back to the present day. Timelines presented by MFA students Daisy Vahey Bourne, Lani Swann and Morgan Delaney, promises to be one of the most immersive theatre shows audiences will attend.
Established in 2018, the Six Degrees Festival, 2023, is supported by Te Herenga Waka -Victoria University of Wellington, and provides pathways for students from the Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice) in Theatre to become professional theatre makers.
