BOOM, BOOM, PROWL! A wonderful review by guest writer Jonjon Tolovae for Red Raven. Prowl was a feature of Auckland Pride Month February 2026.
It’s a wet evening in Tāmaki Makaurau, I’m soaked and drenched, the bottom of my pants have absorbed the pavement waters of Karangahape Road and I finally arrive at Raynham Park.
Outside the venue it’s still, the usual cute security is there, and he opens the door for me (I know this means he wants to marry me, but none of that for this review).
I am met with the sonic soothes of my sister, Sistrah Gardenia on the mic. She is tasked with being the master of ceremony for tonight’s Prowl show alongside its final afterparty too and you just know if Gardenia is booked it’s going to be a fab f*kn evening.
Atop the stairs I snuggle in the warm embrace of Nomuna Amambart (Assistant Producer for the Prowl festival) and Renee Wikitoria (Prowl Co-Producer, production stage manager, essentially all the hats) their warm hugs dry off any last remnant of water on my broad, good for rugby but too queer to play, shoulders.
They usher me to my RESERVED seat, yes reserved – I am obviously important. Also, a quick side note thank you Renee for accommodating the biggest back in Tāmaki Makaurau and making sure an appropriately sized chair was waiting for me. Comfort in theatre is so essential to enjoying a show, so 10 points to the house of Prowl.
OK TO THE SHOW (let me preface here, I mince too much – if you want a short boring review, this isn’t it x)
What’s clearest to me (without my glasses on lol) is the transformation of the space, it is set up in traverse style with the audience on either side which leans into this familial feeling of reaction and experience. It feels homely, notably in the use of lighting that has really created this transcendent atmosphere.
LIGHTING
Alylai Flynn’s lighting is nothing short of phenomenal. Their ability to use lights across the space elevated and lifted the whole space to a place far away from its usual club night or Kiki ball.
We were in the THEATRE DARLING! The lights complemented the evening and the bodies well, adding to the silhouettes, shapes and wove itself seamlessly within the tapestry of Prowl’s work.
The lighting was a highlight (not to be short of puns lol) for me, Alylai should be proud of what they achieved within Raynham’s usual configuration.
STAGE DESIGN
The show begins with two of its dancers emerging from the white curtains that were draped on either side of the stage, note here the simplistic but effective stage designing by Freya Burnett.
It felt very intentional and provided another layer, another vein of this work that remained on the pulse with everything else that was about to ensue. There was a sense of purity and goddess-like entries and exits through the white curtains, with fabric hung from the ceiling stage left of where I was sat. It was clean, concise and correct.
PERFORMERS (As they appear)
Ehetere Rua. My personal standout of the whole show tonight is Ehetere. I found myself fixated on their performance throughout the show and was drawn in by their essence. Maybe it was because the moment they stepped out they were styled resembling Arwen the Elf-Maiden from LOTR (yes, I am a LOTR FAN!) but it wasn’t only their style, it was the way in which their strength imbued itself across each beat and movement they delivered.
They effortlessly went from soft/gentle to full blown aggression within seconds, culminating in a performance that was just so SCRUMPTIOUS! I am excited to see more from Ehetere in the future.
Vivian Xu. First off, if looks could kill, I would have been dead in my seat. The grit and the aggression emoted through Vivian’s face during their performance was such a joy to watch. It felt very unassuming at first and invitational with their sweet nature and then they pulled a Missy Elliot flip and reversed it into what can only be described as pure FIRE.
They danced and flickered like flames across the floor, leaving not an inch of that plank floor without their mark. Again, a well-versed dancer who remained on the beat and on the pulse within the body of Prowl.
Lara Chuo. Now baby, if there was anyone on the floor tonight that just busted out at every seam of movement it was Lara. Their energy and synergy reverberated through the floor into our seats into the tips of our fingers back into their body. They were in constant reciprocity with the other dancers and us as an audience.
Every time Lara was on the floor it felt like a bunch of fireworks were lit, it was an expression and explosion of joy, in femininity, autonomy and pure craft!
Ella Rerekura. Contrary to Ella’s sweet demeanour their performance is nothing of that sort. It is PURE POWER, it is PURE MANA there is so much strength in their performance and I found myself enticed by their raw story telling through movement.
Not to mention, their voice! that felt so large and demanding, that at one point it was as if we had all been summoned by this melodic siren to pause and take all of Ella’s performance in, whilst simultaneously feeling soft and lullaby-like cradling us in the bassinet of their voice.
Ella is a layered performer and that shines throughout the show.
Layla Dole. SEXUAL FEMININE DIVINITY AND AUTONOMY OVER ONES BAWDY!!! Is what screams at me every time Layla hits the floor. Their performance is sensual, it is divine – for every sway in the curve of their body a resurgence is felt amongst the audience.
There is a ferocity in their craft that keeps you at the edge of your seat, like they had just stepped out of the Mortal Kombat character selection menu. I find it hard not to watch them in their element because they own and take charge of every single moment they have on the floor.
There is a certain Je ne sais quoi about them and it is so magical and beautiful to watch unfold.
Raymond Magic Fong. What a resurgence they had back on the floor. I ask myself, are we in the renaissance era of Magic? Like a true diva to the world of arts, they’re back! (However, they never really left) and it was a true honour to watch them perform and deliver!
One thing to be appreciated about them is their unequivocal ability to present something that is sleek, refined and unapologetic. There is a powerful glee in their step and movements that is equally matched with the way in which they transmute that cut-throat like essence into movement that is boundless, sexy and reformed.
They knew exactly what they were doing and set out to do exactly that, devour.
Gabriel Princess Halatoa. EVERYTHING. They gave me so much and then some. A strong and well layered performer amongst the cast tonight. You can tell that we have been invited into the palm of their hand and they guide us effortlessly through the performance tonight.
It is bashful, it is whimsy, but it is also nuanced and strong. There is a sweet freedom, like bare feet running through grass that Princess so fearlessly represents in their craft. Their performance is neither constrained and restricted; it is a breath of fresh air when they dip in and out of dance and the theatrics of theatre.
At one point the fourth wall is broken and they ask me – what is femininity? I feel welcomed in, safe in the presence of their energy. I simply reply – I am femininity. They give me an assured grin and see me – Thank you Princess, for being a generous performer.
Hayley Walters-Tekahika. MOTHER. As soon as Hayley hits the floor someone from the audience yells Mother Prowl and it is so clear that this whole orchestral symphony is conducted by Hayley (Director, Co-Producer, Mother Prowl AND ALL OF THE HATS)
Hayley’s performance is in service of the cast that they have curated, they are what keep the balance between the energetics of each dancer and brings everything together without the break of a sweat. (That mug did not drop once, PERIOD)
Hayley is the strongest performer of tonight and keeps each vein within this work pumping and at the pulse. A revered force within the street dance community you can see that Prowl as a whole is symbiotic to the divine femininity that seeps from Hayley’s earnest performance, her soul and her heart.
Their performance is careful and meticulous and does not overshadow the other dancers however, it holds its own. There is a spark and a fire that emerges when Hayley does and I just cannot wait to see this production continue to go from strength to strength under MOTHER PROWL.
THOUGHTS ON THE SHOW
Well, we’re finally here at the end of this review – digital high fives if you’ve kept up. Artists deserve flowers, so to the Prowl aiga, these are your flowers! x
It is hard to encapsulate what Prowl is into any sort of review. It is a feeling and truly is an experience that you just have to immerse yourself in, an experience that I am glad I have finally felt.
If I can simmer it down to a few sentences (I won’t), it is the power of femininity, not defined by sexual proclivity, orientation or even gender constructs. It is about DIVINE FEMININITY and how this essence is so powerful when not confined to a boring box.
That it is to be explored in its free and autonomous self while at the same time endearing us to be brave and to be bold in our own feminine qualities.
These aren’t markers that define who we are but better yet amplifiers that uplift the spirit of togetherness, especially in a world that defies everything that Prowl is set out to represent. We are Prowl and Prowl is us.
Auckland Pride 2026 was stellar and so much grander with the addition of Prowl Fest within its programming. Here’s to more, oh and a full-length Prowl festival? FUNDERS PULL YOUR WALLETS OUT RIGHT NOW!
Alofa’aga,
Jonjon Tolovae
