Waenga

Te Rākau Hua o te Wao Tapu presents

Waenga - Theatre Marae in Porirua 2025

Written by Hariata and Tamati Moriarty of Hurō Productions, this theatre play unfolds through the experiences of Connie, a fiery, quick-witted young wahine caught in the crossfire of chasing her dreams and an unexplainable visit to a place she doesn't belong. Alongside her is Grayson, a junior defence lawyer navigating the complexities of the legal system while trying to uphold his identity and mana motuhake.

At the heart of this presentation of Waenga is a celebration of rangatahi age 14 and up stepping into the Theatre Marae space. Te Rākau’s rangatahi programme in Porirua nurtures young people to grow their skills and confidence as performers, storytellers, and collaborators. Their voices are powerful and considered, where we unpack questions of identity and the realities of encountering systems around us. The vitality and energy of rangatahi, guided by Te Rākau’s kaupapa and approach, creates work that is bold, challenging, and full of hope.

Waenga ki Porirua is directed by Jim Moriarty assisted by a team of Te Rākau kaimahi. We are proud to be collaborating with Aotea College, who are a major part of bringing this project to life with their spaces and tautoko. We are very grateful for the support of Creative New Zealand, Nikau Foundation, Hutt Mana Charitable Trust, Wellington Community Fund and Wellington City Council who have supported this project to happen.

The Theatre Marae environment challenges students to develop skills in a variety of areas, including lateral thinking, self awareness, resilience, time management, inter-personal communication, fitness and text analysis.

Venue
Aotea College Auditorium - Te Manawa
Aotea College, Okowai Road, Aotea, Okowai, New Zealand