Taniwha
Herald Theatre, Auckland
26 June – 13 July
Tickets are available HERE.
Taniwha! Disarming, charming and alarmingly special! I promise – you’ve never seen anything quite like it. Theatre, puppetry, storytelling, behind the scenes, multimedia – layers and layers of compelling performance – are there enough superlatives to describe it?
If you are a theatre-goer, and if you’re reading this you probably are; you are aware of all the background, behind-the-scenes work that goes into the production that goes into that final result you see on the stage or screen. Director, scriptwriters, composer, musicians, props, lighting, cameras, characters/actors, grips and stagehands – all the skills and elements that have gone into creating that magic you experience. What if you could watch (almost) all of it unfold before your eyes while you are watching?
Welcome to Taniwha, the story of three NZ children who come to the aid of their local taniwha, when a new subdivision is under construction, destroying its habitat. It’s a live-action children’s television programme, the kind your kids (if you have them) would see on Disney or Netflix. Partly, because in front of and below the screen, we also watch every bit of how it is being made.
There are two little stages, with ever evolving settings; puppeteers operating the characters – all constructed out of ordinary corrugated cardboard, vividly painted and fully functional. Cameras bring it to life on the screen. To the right of the stage, enclosed in native greenery, there are a dozen musicians and sound effects people, along with a master storyteller narrating the show.
It’s a visual feast – for anyone, everyone. One of those shows that truly appeals to all ages, to anyone with a sense of curiosity about how things get made. It also puts the limitless possibilities of the human imagination on display, using (mostly) ordinary objects. Yes, this is put together by an enormous team of talented professionals – using found materials, ordinary cameras (a phone could do it), human voices and stories…
We see a dolly shot on the screen, but it really is just a young woman turning the cardboard stage. The wind is dried palm fronds rustling. The characters are speaking – and there are the actors. It’s completely accessible, relatable – you could try it yourself, or something like it. You’ll find your own imagination whirling.
And the fact that it’s a children’s story makes it a perfect all-ages experience. They have no concept (yet) of what goes into creating their entertainment and will be awestruck! I sat near a 4-year-old who was literally bouncing in her seat with excitement. And that is allowed. It’s child-friendly, and if they need a break, no problem.
The list of credits for Taniwha is so vast, I couldn’t possibly credit them all here, because in this production, everyone is out front and centre and essential to what we get to see. It’s directed by Sophie Roberts, Silo Theatre’s artistic director. The show was created by composer Leon Radojkovic. Jon Codding is the puppetmaster. Kura Forrester provides the primary narration. Set design is by a trio of incredible talent; Lissy & Rudi Robinson-Cole and Daniel Williams, who describes the production so eloquently as “a pop-up book come to life.”
I couldn’t recommend this more highly, an utterly delight piece of theatre.
Taniwha
Herald Theatre, Auckland
26 June – 13 July
Tickets are available HERE.
Veronica McLaughlin
all photos by Andi Crown
