Hyperspace is an affectionate homage to the era of aerobics as dance and competitive sport, along with the musical culture of Rap and Hip-Hop which gained world supremacy through the seminal artists of that time.
This is the opening show of Auckland Theatre Company’s 2024 season.
They open with a play written by Albert Belz, which won the Adam New Zealand Play Award in 2023 as the best unperformed work. He also received an accolade as the Best Play by a Māori Writer.
The story borrows some of the central characters from his previous play Astroman, presented in 2019. I did not see that production, so I approach this as an independent work. I note that it focussed on the video game era of the Eighties.
Director is Tainui Tukiwaho, who also worked with the writer for Astroman.
I appreciate the nostalgia for the times, but I don’t necessarily consider it all kitsch.
What was on television certainly was weapons-grade trash. Gloss has not aged well, and it was never anything worthy in the first place. It came with a lot of hype.
That is hard to believe for me, in the era of Netflix and the streaming services, that it had such popularity.
There was good acting talent. There was ex-pat Brit Ilona Rodgers. Maxine Redfern was all over Women’s Weekly.
Veteran actor Peter Elliot played a dastardly Redfern, and Lisa Chappell an offspring Redfern.
Both make cameo appearances as themselves.
The music was different. The Nineties was when Rap and Hip-Hop gained domination over Adult-Oriented Rock (AOR) and it has not relinquished it since.
From Public Enemy to Gangsta Rap. NWA to Ice Cube. Snoop Dogg to Tupac 2Pac Shakur.
Paradoxically the biggest-selling Rap song of 1990 was Ice Ice Cold by Vanilla Ice. The one mentioned in the programme.
Who then took the biggest plummet as a musical artist. Just a footnote now. After Eminem there are plenty of great white Rappers. Vanilla who?
In the last year I caught seminal shows by Snoop Dog, Ice Cube, 50 Cent and a Jason Derulo extravaganza. As big as they ever were.
Aerobics became skilled dance combined with Olympic level gymnastic sport.
The choreographer on board is Jack Gray. An early aerobics master who won the Hershey’s National Aerobics’ championships in 1997. Went on to found the Atamira Dance Company in 2000, and also his own Jack Gray Dance.
An integral part of what makes the aerobic dance routines on this show so spectacular. You would need the fitness level of a professional fighter to be able to pull off these routines and act effectively at the same time.
Younger audiences would not care too much for Gloss, but they will immediately connect to the dance and the music which is just as vibrant today as 30 plus years ago.
The story is provincial hometown New Zealand.
Natalie Te Rehua (Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Shortland Street, Head High) is a young Māori woman who lives for dance.
She sets her sights on the New Zealand Aerobics Championship and a prize of $10,000, as a way out and onto a path of stardom.
She lives with younger brother Sonny Te Rehua (Kauri Williams) and his partner who is also Natalie’s best friend Hiona Mohi (Mele Toli)
At the gym we meet a rival/frenemy of hers Crystal (Pamela Sidhu) who acts with great comedy timing and is a stand-out dancer too.
So does Jennifer (Anna-Maree Thomas) who is the gym receptionist and blossoms as a would-be star herself.
Maybe the best comedy actor is Tawhai Patai (Kruze Tangira) who unashamedly steals all the scenes he is in, and gloriously camps it up as a rival aerobics’ instructor to Natalie.
An interesting point on the level of training required for this play. Tangira plays for the New Zealand men’s netball team. He found it a physical challenge.
It does not show in his smooth athletic performance. We get to like him more as the story progresses. Has a similar nature to the protagonist of Kinky Boots.
Of course, the two adversaries come together, when Hiona realises that these two talented squabblers can turn aerobics dance performance on its head with a Haka fusion.
The dance troupe on stage come close to perfectly timed choreography and smooth execution.
We do notice Jason (Edward Clendon) from the troupe and his broad comedy flourishes, described as being like a monkey. He seems to be channelling Sacha Cohen acting as Bruno. Loose-limbed and acrobatic and he has been a principal performer at the Dust Palace.
The writer might be making a sly reference to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles performing Mickey’s Monkey on the legendary T.A.M.I. Show of 1964.
It is on YouTube, and you may see the genesis of Haka Fusion.
The story travels down a familiar path of smalltown dreamers making good. But there are hooks and heartaches we don’t see coming.
They are telegraphed early but they do pack an emotional overhead right hand punch.
Hyperspace is camp and kitschy in some ways. But I suspect the writer and director have a great affection for that time of the Nineties.
Rev. Orange Peel