Paniora! – Auckland Theatre Company

An East Coast hapu is looking for a new beginning and a new leader in Auckland Theatre Company’s latest production Paniora! Bullfighting, an affair, miscarriages, an overly-confident Spanish guy with a talent for Flamenco, and a spell woven into an old shawl – this one has it all!

Briar Grace-Smith’s play involves us in the lives of a family fiercely proud and protective of their Maori-Spanish heritage. It’s certainly not a common cultural combination, giving the descendants all the more reason to want to uphold its tradition. As the family tries desperately to strengthen its bonds it becomes clear that, like all families, this one has some complex and deeply contested histories to get past if it can have any hope of moving forward together. The play grapples with multiple interwoven stories and complex relationships, moving with ease between deeply solemn moments and at times uproariously funny situations.

Acting and dance share the stage right from the outset with a goosebump-inducing opening dance from legendary Taiaroa Royal. Whether unobtrusively interspersed to help tell the story, or in a jolly display of Flamenco, the element of dance ties together the story and its people, giving this play an added depth and emotional layer while being visually enthralling. A superbly choreographed bullfighting sequence is the show-stealer. Beautiful and often eerie lighting and sound elements add richness to the multiple layers at work in the story.

Paniora! Photo Michael Smith

 

Photo Michael Smith

The love story between distant cousins and Maria and Jimmy didn’t quite hit the mark for me, and at times it feels like there are too many issues at play, making it hard for any one aspect to be fully developed and explored. Nancy Brunning stands out as the stalwart and deeply protective kuia, her solo scenes helping to give the production a depth which otherwise could be found lacking – her silences speak volumes.

What stayed with me as I left the theatre was not the story, but instead the feel of the play. Although not an extraordinary story in and of itself, Paniora! is a sum of all its parts – acting, artistic direction and dance come together to make this a moving piece well worth experiencing for yourself.

Paniora! is on at the Maidment Theatre until 12 April.

Reviewed by Steph Bean

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