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An Auckland Theatre Company co-production with Te Rēhia Theatre Company in association with Auckland Arts Festival
CAST
Jimmy — Levi Kereama Michelle (Mum) — Miriama McDowell | Mrs Mahara (teacher) — Nicola Kawana Sonny — Kauri Williams | Natalie — Rickylee Russell-Waipuka Mick — Aaron McGregor | Mr Macrae — Gavin Rutherford
CHORUS
Takanini Fulla-Girl — Brady Peeti | Dynasty — Tatum Warren-Ngata Dallas — Tyler Wilson Kōkiri
CREATIVE
Playwright — Albert Belz | Director — Tainui Tukiwaho Set Designer — John Verryt | Lighting Designer — Jane Hakaraia Sound Designer — Laughton Kora | Costume Designer — Louise Davis Motion Graphics Designer — Harley Campbell | Choreographer — Justin Haiu Assistant Director (Teina) — Matthew Kereama
PRODUCTION
Interim Production Managers — Robert Hunte and Nicole Arrow Company Manager — Elaine Walsh | Stage Manager — Michael Clark Assistant Stage Manager (Teina) — Tyler Wilson Kōkiri Technical Manager — Andrew Furness | SQ and AV Operator — Spencer Earwaker LX Op — Ruby van Dorp | Props Master — Taungaroa Emile Set Construction — 2 Construct
CREATIVE LEARNING
Education Pack Writer — Rita Stone Teaching Artists — Ava Diakhaby & Holly Hudson
ACCESSIBILITY
Audio Describer Aotearoa — Nicola Owen NZSL Interpreters — Kelly Hodgins and Marc Ethan AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY AND TE RĒHIA THEATRE COMPANY WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR HELP WITH THIS PRODUCTION: Jonathan Bielski and the team at Auckland Arts Festival, Q Theatre, The Court Theatre, New Zealand Opera, Silo Theatre, Lester McGrath, Isaac Drandic, Briar Collard, Nicol Munro, Corban Estate Arts Centre, Kākano Youth Trust, ARCADE Social Club & Eatery, Ascia Maybury, Emma at APRA AMCOS, Simon Barker at Lotech Media, Hero Fraser, Talanoa Fraser, Te Rongopai Curreen-Tukiwaho and Andrew Malmo. 1
By arrangement with
In association with
Astroman was developed with Playwrighting Australia in the National Script Workshop and National Play Festival. Astroman, by Albert Belz, was developed with the assistance of Auckland Theatre Company, Auckland, New Zealand. Astroman is the third Auckland Theatre Company mainstage production for 2019 and opened on March 17 at Q Theatre. The production is approximately 2 hours 10 minutes long and includes a 20-minute interval. Please remember to switch off all mobile phones and noise-emitting devices.
Advisory: contains strong language 2
Colin McColl Artistic Director Auckland Theatre Company
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā raurangatira katou. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa! It’s all go in Studio 1 at Auckland Theatre Company’s rehearsal rooms in Dominion Road. The Astroman day begins with a karakia. While the actors warm up, director Tainui Tukiwaho and Amber Curreen attend a production meeting with lighting, set, AV and costume designers. Then choreographer Justin Haiu puts the actors through their paces with a cool dance opening for the show. As the rehearsal day progresses, there are bike-riding lessons for Levi, voice classes for the younger actors, warm-up games, script discussions, scene rehearsals and costume fittings for everyone. By the middle of the afternoon, some of the cast and crew are looking longingly at the sleep tent where Miriama McDowell’s daughter Hero is blissfully away in Dreamland. It’s a big, chaotic, happy family with a single aim - to bring to life Albert’s beautiful new play. This year, Auckland Theatre Company is thrilled to engage with new faces, new talent and new companies. Te Rēhia Theatre Company has quickly established itself as a dynamic, forward-looking,
adventurous company with a kaupapa of bringing a Māori sensibility to theatremaking, championing Māori playwrights and taking Māori theatre to the world. Te Rēhia Company, Auckland Theatre Company and Auckland Arts Festival share the concepts of manaakitanga and auahatanga so the opportunity to partner in presenting the Auckland premiere of Albert Belz’s heart-warming new comedy was irresistible. Albert Belz is one of New Zealand’s most prolific playwrights. He’s always been intrepid in the themes and settings of his plays – from the 1960s’ Māori Showband circuit (Raising the Titanics) and the dangerous lanes of East End Victorian London (Yours Truly), to a remote Irish convent (Cradle Song) and heaven in disarray (Morningstar). In Astroman, he returns to his roots – ’80s Whakatāne. Huge thanks to Amber, Tainui, Te Rēhia Theatre Company and the whole Astroman whānau for your commitment and joyous work. It’s the first step towards a fruitful and meaningful collaboration between our two companies. Big thanks, to you, our audience, as well. Enjoy the show. 3
Amber Curreen Kaihautū | Company Director & Co-Artistic Director Te Rēhia Theatre Company
Mā te tuakana ka tōtika te tēina, mā te teina ka tōtika te tuakana. This whakataukī speaks to the reciprocal learning relationship between older and younger siblings and has a special place in this production of Astroman. From the bigger-picture partnership between Auckland Theatre Company and Te Rēhia Theatre Company to the small interpersonal moments in the rehearsal room, there is learning, sharing and growth between tuakana and tēina, older and younger, experienced and less experienced. This whakataukī also resonates through Albert Belz’s narrative of Astroman as young Jimmy finds an unlikely ally in Scottish expat Mr Macrae and they teach and guide each other. In 2011, myself, Tainui and Albert watched the first show light being rigged in Q Rangatira after the grand opening. At the time we were packing in for Albert’s Raising the Titanics, directed by Raymond Hawthorne and presented by our company: at the time, SmackBang Theatre. I think I still have a photo somewhere of our cheesy grins. We’ve presented two Albert Belz plays in Q Loft in the last few years, Yours Truly (2016) and Cradle Song (2018); however, 4
this is our first show back in Rangatira. We’re truly excited to be presenting a kaupapa Māori work on the mainstage with more than 24 performances in the season – something that is rarely seen in Tāmaki Makaurau. There is exceptional Māori-led theatre work happening in theatres and communities throughout the country and Māori performing arts are at a breakthrough point with more Māori-led companies, festivals, venues and international indigenous collaborations than there have been ever before. We hope that, in the years to come, you’ll be seeing more Māoriled theatre at Rangatira and more partnerships like ours bringing great works to the stage. We hope you enjoy the show! We’ve thoroughly enjoyed making it. We have fully committed to the ‘Go Big or Go Home’ sentiment of the 1980s. We hope you sing along with Laughton’s artfully chosen and created soundtrack, giggle along with Lou’s bold costume choices, and are transported to our colourful video-game version of Whakatāne 1983. We hope to lift your hearts and that you find resonance in this window into small-town Māori life in the decade of our nation’s coming of age.
Tainui Tukiwaho Ringatohu | Director
I have been lucky to work with Albert a lot over the past ten years. When he came back to New Zealand with this piece we did a small workshop on an early draft and I was immediately excited. Albert was telling the story of young Māori boys in the 1980s and I know that we saw this not long ago with Boy, but the story Albert was telling was the story of the Arcade generation. This was my generation; 20 cent coins, crowded rooms full of screaming machines and flashing lights. Looking back, it was like a casino for kids except these kids weren’t getting any financial return but something far more important – immortality through high scores.
This show clearly struck a chord with me, but not just for the above reasons. Underneath this facade of arcade games, Karate Kid and Eye of the Tiger there are some deep and important issues that are being explored. As you might imagine of a play set in the 1980s you can find issues of racism, depression, loss and bullying – but it is addressed with such a subtle and light touch you barely even see it happening, which is a treat for a director and cast to work on. It has been a pleasure and a privilege, unpacking and discovering the nuances of this new Kiwi play with such a caring and talented cast.
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Albert Belz Playwright
Mental health, suicide, class, race, religion, homelessness, sexual politics, Trump politics, politics – politics – it goes without saying that theatre is a wonderful space where stories around these narratives can take flight and, on the rarest of occasions, even provoke thought. But, for me, when I started writing Astroman, a lot of what I was reading or seeing in theatre was becoming an exercise of witnessing somebody’s well-meaning and sincere, though thinly disguised, political manifesto of some kind. It’s a sign of the times, I suppose, in this Trump and #metoo era, that modern theatre writers are angry. Angrier than we’ve ever been before as the gap and the power struggles between the haves and have-nots have become more prevalent than ever before in our own lifetimes. So, we’re writing about these things and insisting audiences ‘get woke!’, and so we should. That’s very much the sort of thing I love about theatre. But somewhere… somewhere, I feel we forgot that stories can also entertain. 6
Not everything has to be a effing parable about the pain of being alive! That’s where Astroman started. I wanted to tell a kick-ass story that entertained smart people. Sure, it’s got all that race, class and mental health stuff in there for those who want to find it – but, first of all, it’s a piece of entertainment. I wanted to make audiences laugh and enjoy a moment in New Zealand history through the lens of an irrepressible young Māori boy and his whānau. I wanted audiences to forget all the outrage-causing, fearmongering clickbait being excreted down their online news feeds from great heights – if only for a couple of hours. Hence, Astroman is a celebration of being alive; it’s about facing off great adversity to stare into the blazing fire of a shining future. It’s about a great beyond that promises better things. Astroman is my rose-tinted love letter to everything tacky and wonderful about whānau and the ’80s. Tonight, I dearly hope that you enjoy experiencing the piece as much as I enjoyed writing it. To the future - and beyoooooond!
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George, Founder, Owner
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TUAKANA / TEINA Ma te tuakana ka tōtika te teina, ma te teina ka tōtika te tuakana. This season of Astroman represents a ground-breaking partnership between Te Rēhia Theatre Company and Auckland Theatre Company and is the longestrunning theatre show of scale by an Auckland Māori theatre company for more than a decade. We are committed to using this production to make a difference to the entire Auckland Māori arts ecology. Astroman naturally lends itself to a development opportunity for younger actors working with some of our country’s most experienced theatre performers. We are proud to be extending this development opportunity off stage through our Tuakana / Teina Programme, supported through Creative New Zealand. This programme pairs emerging and established practitioners to work 8
together practically, to share knowledge and skills, and addresses a nationally acknowledged gap in production and arts management personnel. We have Chay Lorraine Nicol working alongside Jane Hakaraia to develop her knowledge of lighting design and technical production, we have Matthew Kereama working alongside Tainui Tukiwaho to develop his directing skills, we have Tyler Wilson Kōkiri working alongside Michael Clark learning the ropes as Assistant Stage Manager and we have Brady Peeti working alongside Amber Curreen as an emerging producer. Tuakana and Teina work together in a hands-on way, questioning, supporting and learning from each other over the process of creating the world of Astroman.
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Cast LEVI KEREAMA
LEVI KEREAMA Jimmy Levi Kereama is currently a Year 13 student attending Rosmini College. He is very passionate about acting and has been involved in stage, television and film work since 2009. His first stage production was with Auckland Theatre Company in 2016 in Tom Sawyer, directed by Margaret-Mary Hollins. In 2016, Levi had his first professional theatre appearance in Medea with Silo Theatre, directed by Rachel House. Levi was also very fortunate in 2016 to work alongside Rawiri Paratene in Kōrero Pūrākau, a Māori storytelling project at The PumpHouse Theatre. Levi is excited to work with Tainui Tukiwaho in what is the first co-production between Te Rēhia Theatre Company and Auckland Theatre Company. He is very pleased to be working with a cast of seasoned professionals on a great script that celebrates the essence of the 1980s. MIRIAMA McDOWELL Ngāti Hine | Michelle Miriama McDowell has been working in theatre, film and 10
MIRIAMA McDOWELL
television since she graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 2002. She is an actor, director, writer and tutor. As an actor, she has worked with some of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed playwrights, including Hone Kouka (The Prophet), Miria George (The Vultures), Albert Belz (Te Karakia) and Briar Grace-Smith (100 Cousins, Paniora!, Potiki’s Memory of Stone). She was on stage most recently with Sam Brooks’ sold-out season of Burn Her. Along with Rob Mokaraka and Jason Te Kare, she wrote Cellfish, which opened the Auckland Arts Festival in March 2017. Miriama’s screen credits include No.2, The Dark Horse, Mahana and most recently, Waru. She won the award for Best Actress at the New Zealand Film Awards for her lead role in feature film The Great Maiden’s Blush. Over the past 15 years, she has appeared in numerous television series, including This Is Not My Life, Hope and Wire and Find Me a Māori Bride.
then Taranaki Youth Theatre before heading to Wellington where she made her professional debut in Hone Tuwhare’s In the Wilderness Without a Hat in 1989. Nicola trained at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and has worked in theatre, film and television. Theatre credits include Mo and Jess Kill Susie, Les Parents Terribles, Home Fires, Woman Far Walking, Blood Wedding, The Motor Camp, Fix, Awatea, A Doll’s House, The Vultures, Under The Mountain and, most recently, Rendered for Auckland Theatre Company. Television and film credits include Jackson’s Wharf, Shortland Street, The Man Who Lost His Head, Eruption, Fresh Meat and Monkey. After a lifelong love of gardening and studying horticulture, Nicola also works as a garden writer, gardener and presenter on the TVNZ 1 show, Whānau Living. Nicola is a member of Equity New Zealand, a UNICEF Global Parent and a worm farmer.
NICOLA KAWANA Mrs Mahara Born and raised in Taranaki from Ngāruahine iwi, Nicola first trained as an actor with the
KAURI WILLIAMS Sonny Kauri Williams, 21, is currently in his third year studying Performing and Screen Arts at Unitec. In his
NICOLA KAWANA
KAURI WILLIAMS
second-year showcase, he played John Proctor in The Crucible. In 2017, he was in the chorus of Te Manawa (Hawaiki TŪ Haka Theatre Company and Auckland Theatre Company). RICKYLEE RUSSELLWAIPUKA Natalie Rickylee Russell-Waipuka is best known for her role as Chardonnay in the 2010 film Boy. She was a member of the kapa haka group Ngā Puna o Waiōrea from Western Springs College when they took out the Polyfest titles in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, she was a cast member in television series Waka Warriors. The following year, she had a role in the television series This is Piki. Rickylee then landed a minor role and dance position for a haka-theatre production by Hawaiki TŪ, Te Manawa in 2016. The show went on tour around the North Island and, in 2017, was presented at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. Later in 2017, she was cast as one of the dancers featured in Stan Walker’s music video, New Takeover. Most recently, Rickylee has been working on a short film called I Am Paradise
RICKYLEE RUSSELL-WAIPUKA
in the lead role. Rickylee has returned home, not long ago, from a 10-week tour around Canada, performing and assisting in running haka workshops for women at Sākihiwē festival in Winnipeg, Alianait Arts Festival in Iqaluit, Small World Music Festival in Toronto, a community festival in collaboration with a First Nations group Ta Na Wa Kawstemin in Squamish, British Columbia, and, finally, at the Edge of the World Music Festival in Haida Gwaii. AARON McGREGOR Mick Aaron McGregor, originally from Lower Hutt, Wellington, has been in an array of short films, TV shows and movies. Some of these short films include Choice Night, Hitch Hike, Every Moment and A Bend in the Road. He has been nominated for Best Actor in a New Zealand Short Film twice. TV shows include Dear Murderer and season two of Filthy Rich. Movies include Slow West and Deathgasm. This will be Aaron’s professional theatre debut and he is looking forward to developing this side of his acting career.
AARON McGREGOR
GAVIN RUTHERFORD
GAVIN RUTHERFORD Mr Macrae Gavin Rutherford has been lucky enough to work in more than 50 theatrical performances all over the country but is proudly based in Wellington, New Zealand. After he graduated from the UNITEC School of Performing and Screen Arts in Auckland, his career has enabled him to travel the country, being looked after very well by festivals, while performing in the multi-award-winning sitespecific. co.nz show Hotel and the Dave Armstrong comedy Le Sud. Gavin is a member of the Circa Council at Circa Theatre in Wellington. He has been the ‘Dame’ in the successful Roger Hall pantomimes at Circa for the last eight years. He has been involved in various voice work including the animated TV show Nori Roller Coaster Boy and Duncan Sarkies’ crazy podcast The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie’s Botanarium. He has directed for Circa and KidzStuff Theatre and produced and directed his partner Gina Vanessi’s plays, Quiver, Minksie and Ron Explore the Gap. In 2019, Simon Leary and he are writing the pantomime Alice in Wonderland for Circa Theatre. 11
ALBERT BELZ
TAINUI TUKIWAHO
JOHN VERRYT
JANE HAKARAIA
Creative ALBERT BELZ Playwright Albert Belz’s career in the arts originally began in acting before he turned his hand to writing for stage and screen. He is an awardwinning playwright and his unique voice has crossed many datelines and divides; he has performed in many venues across the world, from London and Paris, to New York and Sydney. Issues ranging from class, ethnicity and sexual politics to Gothic serial killers and religion resonate through his words. Albert has held writing residencies in Le Quesnoy (Northern France) and at the universities of Waikato, Victoria and Canterbury. This year, he is completing his master’s degree at AUT. He is also working with Ilbijerri and Te Rēhia Theatre Companies to write a fresh, new indigenous piece with Mob and Māori practitioners. Last year, Astroman was produced by Melbourne Theatre Company and The Court Theatre in Christchurch. Albert continues to work in film and television while lecturing at Manukau Institute of Technology in Performing Arts. TAINUI TUKIWAHO Director Tainui Tukiwaho has worked as a director, a producer, a writer and an actor since graduating from Unitec in 2001. He has made feature12
length and short films, has created innovative theatre works and is continually cast by major television and film-making companies. Tainui is fluent in te reo Māori and has worked with many of New Zealand’s Māori language production companies; he has created Te Pou theatre and Māori-languagedriven company Te Rēhia Theatre Company. JOHN VERRYT Set Designer John Verryt began designing for performance in 1979, training at Theatre Corporate and Mercury Theatre. John works regularly, as a freelancer, for many of New Zealand’s foremost performing arts companies, including Auckland Theatre Company, Silo Theatre, Indian Ink, Red Leap Theatre, The Large Group, Nightsong, New Zealand Opera, Douglas Wright Dance Company, Michael Parmenter, Malia Johnston and Atamira, Okareka and Black Grace Dance Companies. Recent Auckland Theatre Company shows designed by John include Once on Chunuk Bair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rupert, The Navigators and Rendered. JANE HAKARAIA Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga Lighting Designer Jane Hakaraia is a freelance theatre
and TV designer. Theatre companies she works with regularly include Auckland Theatre Company, Bullet Heart Club, Silo Theatre and Massive Company. In theatre, she is known primarily for lighting design but, in the last few years, has expanded into set design, which she has been enjoying immensely. She also works with Blue Bach Productions as Art Director on their TV offerings and is currently working with Māoriland Film Festival in the design of their outdoor spaces at the Māoriland Hub in Otaki. This year, Jane will be working with all her favourite theatre companies, including Te Rēhia and Auckland Theatre Companies on Astroman and Silo Theatre on Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, both for Auckland Arts Festival. She will also work on Half the Sky and Like a River, I Disagree with Massive, and Owls Do Cry with Red Leap Theatre. Jane has a degree in design from Unitec and undertook an honours degree in design at AUT. LAUGHTON KORA Sound Designer Laughton Kora has been playing music since the age of six, appearing on stage as part of his father’s band until he was 17 years old, when he won Smokefreerockquest. His band,
LAUGHTON KORA
LOUISE DAVIS
Aunty Beatrice, toured New Zealand and released a single. He moved to Queenstown and formed Soul Charge with members KP (Sunshine Sound System) and P Digsss (Shapeshifter). In 2001, he headed to Wellington and formed Kora (2003–2012) with his brothers. Laughton toured extensively with Kora to Australia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Singapore and the USA. Since 2012, Laughton has forged ahead with his own solo project and has also formed duo Neon Ninja with Andy Keys (ex-Opshop). Laughton attended NZ Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School – and has a bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts. He featured on series two of Songs from the Inside, with Don McGlashan, Anika Moa and Annie Crummer, and starred in TVNZ’s drama series Coverband. LOUISE DAVIS Costume Designer Louise Davis has worked for numerous Māori productions in various capacities, including costumer designer, creative collaborator, stylist and artist for Mataku, Motoa, The Feathers of Peace, The Māori Merchant of Venice, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frontier of Dreams, Kai Kōrero, Battle of the Noble Savage, Taonga, Tiki Taane music video Tangaroa, Hoki Mai Tama Mā, White Night Parnell, Mihi’s Cloak,
HARLEY CAMPBELL
costume designer finalist in the AFTA for Mataku, Pacific Fusion Fashion Show bridal winner and Waitakere Sculpture Awards (third place). Louise loves to explore past and present materials together, reinventing, mixing the colonial techniques with our indigenous fibres, harakeke, to the finest of vintage threads. This can provoke cultural identity, heritage, childhood memories and traditions. Louise draws upon her rich whakapapa, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga and Ngāti Maru ki Hauraki, to guide her. Fabric has a magical quality; it can cast a spell on a whole room, transporting the wearer and the viewer alike. HARLEY CAMPBELL Ngāpuhi, Irish, English Motion Graphics Designer Over the course of his 10-year career as a designer and motion graphics artist, Harley Campbell has produced graphics and visual effects for a range of different projects, including short films, commercials and music videos. He has also worked extensively in the events and experiential industry, bringing his creative vision to large-scale conferences, awards shows and interactive multimedia performances. Harley’s first foray into the world of theatre was for the 2018 Auckland Theatre Company production of Rendered with his second being Tom Scott’s Joan
JUSTIN HAIU
in February. He has thoroughly enjoyed transferring his experience and passion into this exciting new domain and is especially excited to be invited back for Astroman. JUSTIN HAIU New Zealand European/Uvean Choreographer Justin Haiu’s strength as a choreographer comes from his extensive experience. It is founded in cultural performance and hip hop, including career highlights of being runner-up in So You Think You Can Dance, touring with Walt Disney’s theatre production The Lion King and, recently, completing the New Zealand debut musical City of 100 Lovers. Justin has worked alongside New Zealand’s leading choreographers and dancers, including Michael Parmenter and Black Grace Dance Company, and was one of the founding dancers and choreographers with The New Zealand Dance Company. He’s worked with Red Leap Theatre Company, touring with the awardwinning production The Arrival and Paper Sky. Justin was a co-pioneer of the clowning group The White Face Crew, with its street-style roving and award-winning performances in La Vie Dans Une Marionette and Double Derelicts. Justin also directs and performs his own created physical-theatre family-friendly works under the name of Jandel J and the Funky Friends. 13
A brief history of video games Originally written and published by The Court Theatre for their 2018 season of Astroman
The machine wasn’t working – no matter how hard they tried, nobody could get Pong to accept any more quarters. The test machine for Pong, one of the earliest arcade machines, was being trialled in a California Tavern in 1972 when it suddenly stopped working, jammed too full of quarters to continue running. This was the beginning of a boom period for video games, with the table-tennis 14
inspired game proving so popular that parent company Atari (who only had six employees at the time) couldn’t keep up with their orders. The success of Pong made video arcades a viable business, with the digital consoles quickly overtaking their predecessor, pinball machines, as the game of choice. Video game machines were not only more fun than pinball, they were also easier to fix. At the
time, most consoles were made up of three parts: a television screen, power supply and system board, making issues much easier to solve than the multiple moving parts of a pinball table that made repairs time consuming and costly. By the end of the 1970s, video games were taking over the world. Space Invaders, released in 1978, became one of the bestselling games in the world – only surpassed by the iconic Pac-Man franchise.
From 1978 – 1983 the video game industry flourished, experiencing a golden age. It was a time when you could protect your city from ballistic missiles in Defender; gobble up ghosts in Pac-Man; relieve Luke’s iconic Death Star battle scene in Star Wars and defeat evil Otto in Berzerk, to name a few. Gaming had become a mainstream hobby by the 1980s, with Atari hosting their own Space Invaders tournament in New York
in 1980, attracting more than 10,000 participants battling it out for the title of Space Invaders champion. The birth of Pac-Man in the same year grew a broader participant base for the gaming world, with the infamous hungry ghosts – and Pac-Man’s pizza inspired hero – drawing in a new audience, including more women. Two years later, Ms. Pac-Man was created in acknowledgement of Pac-Man’s loyal female
audience and became the most successful game of the year in America. Of all the video games to have come and gone, Pac-Man is the one with longest life-span, the familiar characters becoming cultural icons – and even inspiring a hit single, Pac-Man Fever! The main appeal of the Pac-Man franchise was its ability to appeal to both hardcore players and more casual gamers - a consistent struggle for video game designers. 15
By 1981, the American company representing Space Invaders had stopped producing the game, consumers having already moved onto the next option in an industry reliant on novelty. In response, manufacturers created new, more complicated games which attracted the more serious players but excluded the bulk of the more casual, mainstream gamers.
The New York Times revealed in 1983 just how badly the game had sold, with Atari dumping 14 truckloads of E.T. cartridges in a New Mexico landfill, covering the unwanted merchandise with concrete. The story became an urban legend until, in 2013, an excavation was carried out on the dump site, with the documentary team
By the new millennium the video arcades of the ‘70s and ‘80s were a distant memory. The perfect balance was hard to strike, with booming business beginning to slow by the mid ‘80s, particularly after the release of film tie-in and spectacular flop, video game E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Between 1983 and 1985 the revenue of the video game industry dropped almost 97% in America – with E.T. manufacturer Atari splitting its assets and restructuring in 1984 as a result. 16
behind Atari: Game Over unearthing thousands of copies of E.T. that had been buried 30 years earlier – only a handful of the approximate 700,000 copies that were originally thrown out. Despite the crash, arcades saw a resurgence in the ‘90s with fighting games such as Street Fighter II bringing people back into arcades. It was clear the heyday for these amusement parlours had been and gone,
replaced by at-home video consoles and new technology, like the 1989 hand-held Gameboy. By the new millennium the video arcades of the ‘70s and ‘80s were a distant memory. Even the original CRT monitors that the console screens were made out of are out of stock. Now, in 2018, arcade parlours are ‘retrocool’ enough to make a comeback. A resurgence of a different sort of video arcade has occurred, with parlours full of drink, food and classic consoles popping up around the world – including here in Auckland at ARCADE Bar & Eatery in Kingsland, giving gamers and wannabes the retro arcade experience with a modern twist. While the novelty of the games might bring people in, it’s the food and drink that turns a profit for these businesses. While modern gaming culture might seem far away from the oldschool video arcades of the 1980s, games like Candy Crush and Fortnite contain the legacy of the ‘70s and ‘80s history they were born from.
behind the scenes
Photo credit: Brad Fisher
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’8Os Memories
Laughton Kora
Q & A with Laughton Kora Sound designer
What is your favourite ’80s video game and why? Gyruss. It was a new-school way of having your spaceship do a 360-degree around the screen. Most games just had the ship at the bottom and you had to shoot straight up. Also, the music in this game is gangsta! What attracted you to become part of the team for Astroman? It’s about a Māori boy from Whakatāne that grew up in the ’80s, playing video games. This story is about my upbringing. Crack up! Tell us about the soundtracks you are creating for Astroman and their inspiration. I am trying to recreate the memories: the whole era of the vibe. I’m sure there will be a lot of people who will watch the show and hear the sounds and music from the ’80s and spacies machines, and it’ll trigger a memory or a familiar story they can relate to. What are your most nostalgic memories from the ’80s era? Playing heavy metal. People forget it’s the birth of virtuoso guitarists and rock ballads: Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, etc. Breakdancing as well. I actually never really
listened to what was on the radio... unless I was at a Blue Light Disco, which was run by the police. This play is set in Whakatāne – you grew up there – what are some of your most lasting memories from growing up there? Surfing, R.O.A. (Rangataua O Aotearoa, a martial arts club my uncles used to run), you and your clique roaming on your bikes until the street lamps turned on at night. Meant it was time to go home for tea. Bruce Lee movies. Do you play video games now and, if so, how do you feel the experience is different from video game machines in the ’80s? Pros and cons? I play video games every day, man! I come from a family of gamers. In the ’80s, games had simple ideas but the patterns were harder and the hand-eye coordination was harder than it is in today’s games. The music was nostalgic. You would hear a sound from across the street and know which game was playing. Every game had its own feel even though they were all platform games. Today’s games are mostly for the senses and an appreciation for how far the graphics have come. Shout to all the Final Fantasy games and music! 19
’8Os Memories
Q & A with Miriama McDowell, Gavin Rutherford and Nicola Kawana
In the ’80s I was a kid and everything was big. I had a vinyl jacket from New York and a golden bicycle.
Miriama McDowell
I remember always being dressed in six layers of clothing. I dress my kids in light merino wool and I think: “You don’t know how good you got it”.
I had an HMX500, a Commodore 64, endless summer days at the beach and my first kiss in the sand dunes.
I remember the change from Stubbies to ruggers. Overnight, Stubbies were out and ruggers were in – Mum took a month or so to get me some ruggers. Tough times.
Nicola Kawana 20
Gavin Rutherford
Things I loved about the ’80s. Clothes. This was the decade I went from new wave to punk to vintage. The op shops were full of gems. Music. I got my first job in a music store. Vinyl was the most popular way to consume music. I still have vinyl from then. In 1984, my friend Kelly Tamou and I won a signed Culture Club record from the show Shazam!. We had collected the highest number of signatures for a petition to get them to come to New Zealand. They never did. I love the fact our country stood up against apartheid in 1981, became nuclear free in 1984 and passed the homosexual law reform bill in 1986.
TAKE YOUR BUSINESS
CENTRE STAGE
CONTACT WILL ROOKE q m22 smedia.com
will.rooke@qmsmedia.com | 021 02612005
What’s on
at Auckland Theatre Company Auckland Theatre Company presents the ASB season of
Auckland Theatre Company and Prayas Theatre present
The Audience
A Fine Balance
By Peter Morgan
Adapted by Sudha Bhuchar and Kristine Landon-Smith. Based on the novel by Rohinton Mistry
8 – 23 May | ASB Waterfront Theatre
From the screenwriter of The Queen and creator of Netflix’s The Crown, this electrifying play boldly imagines what is spoken behind closed doors. Face to face with the likes of Churchill, Thatcher and Cameron, we witness the Queen acting as confidante and sounding board but also holding her own in discussions of explosive passion and candour.
14 June – 6 July | Q Theatre
Based on Rohinton Mistry’s celebrated, Booker-short-listed novel, A Fine Balance is a sweeping panorama of India’s tumultuous State of Emergency, punctuated with breathtaking moments of human compassion, spirit and heroism.
Auckland Theatre Company presents the MiNDFOOD season of
Auckland Theatre Company presents the Kensington Swan season of
Six Degrees of Separation By John Guare
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead By Tom Stoppard
14 – 29 Aug | ASB Waterfront Theatre
11 – 26 Sep | ASB Waterfront Theatre
Suave and sophisticated, wealthy Manhattan art dealers Flan and Ouisa Kittredge are all about keeping up appearances in highsociety New York. But, suddenly, their world of comfort and respectability is turned upside down.
What if two minor characters in Hamlet were given centre stage? In a dashing reversal of misfortune, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s student friends, now find themselves as the headline act in Shakespeare’s greatest play. 23
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To speak to us directly about becoming an ATC Patron or leaving a legacy gift, please contact Development Coordinator Simon Tate on simon@atc.co.nz or 09 309 0390 ext. 287. Together, we can create inspirational theatre experiences that touch lives!
“…storytelling wonderland...” THEATRE SCENES
26—30 APRIL THE GANGSTER’S PARADISE
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PRODUCTION CREDITS: DEFENDER used courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. GALAGA™ & © BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. PAC-MAN™ & © BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. THE KARATE KID © 1984 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
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AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY Artistic Director Colin McColl ONZM Interim General Manager Anna Cameron Creative Development Associate Director: Lynne Cardy Literary Manager: Philippa Campbell Youth Arts Coordinator: Nicole Arrow Production and Premises Production Manager: Andrew Malmo Company Manager: Elaine Walsh Venue Technical Manager: Josh Bond Venue Technician: Johnny Chen Marketing and Communications Marketing and Communications Manager: Natasha Gordon Publicists: Siobhan Waterhouse and Vanessa Preston Graphic Designer: Wanda Tambrin Marketing Campaigns Manager: Nicola Brown Digital Marketing Coordinator: Brad Fisher Visitor Experience Ticketing and Front of House Manager: Gary Barker Food and Beverage Manager: Richard Pepper Front of House Manager: Ralph Corke Ticketing Administrator: Joni Nelson Ticketing Executive: Melissa Handley Front of House Supervisor: Eliot Youmans Development and Venue Sales Development Manager: Emma Burton Development Coordinator: Simon Tate Events and Sales Manager: Tracey Rowe Event Coordinator: Romana Trego Business Development Manager: Geeling Ching Administration and Finance Finance Manager: Kerry Tomlin Senior Accountant: Nick Tregerthan Senior Accounts Administrator: Michelle Speir Company Administrator: Jan Pitout Administration Coordinator: Jade McCann Executive Administrator: Natasha Pearce Mana Whenua Cultural Advisor Herewini Easton
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Gordon Moller ONZM Vivien Bridgwater Karen Fistonich Isaac Hikaka Katie Jacobs Derek McCormack Graeme Pinfold We acknowledge The Theatre Foundation Trustees for the philanthropic support provided to Auckland Theatre Company activities. CONTACT ATC 487 Dominion Road, Mt Eden PO Box 96002 Balmoral, Auckland 1342 P: 09 309 0390 F: 09 309 0391 atc@atc.co.nz atc.co.nz ATC PATRONS Margot and Alastair Acland Margaret Anderson John Barnett Michelle Boag Adrian Burr and the late Peter Tatham Paul and Barbie Cook Roger and Maryanne Dickie Guy and Nicole Domett Kim and Annette Ellis Trevor and Jan Farmer Stephen and Virginia Fisher Stuart Grieve and Antonia Fisher Cameron Fleming Rob Nicholson and Ruth Foreman Michael Friedlander Dame Jenny Gibbs Michael and Stephanie Gowan Ross and Josephine Green Sue Haigh Catherine and Michael Hapgood Allyson and Paul Harvey Jessica Miles and Isaac Hikaka Anne and Peter Hinton Ros and Greg Hinton Michael and Dame Rosie Horton Rod and Julie Inglis Sally and Peter Jackson Len and Heather Jury Simon Vannini and Anita Killeen Ross and Paulette Laidlaw Philippa Smith-Lambert and Chris Lambert Margot and Paul Leigh Sir Chris and Lady Dayle Mace Stella McDonald and the late Robert Johnston Jackie and Phillip Mills Andrew Gelonese and Michael Moore Christine and Derek Nolan Denver and Prue Olde
Peter Macky and Yuri Opeshko Heather Pascual Barby Pensabene Hon. Dame Judith Potter Maria Renhart Robyn and Malcolm Reynolds Fran and Geoff Ricketts Mark and Catherine Sandelin Dale Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rose and Mike Smith Janmarie Thompson and Joanna Smout Lady Tait Julie and Russell Tills Pip Muir and Kit Toogood Susan and Gavin Walker Sir James Wallace Greg Blanchard and Carol Weaver Ian Webster Dona and Gavin White Fran Wyborn Annemarie Yannaghas ATC 2018/19 SUPPORTING ACTS Standing Ovation Brian and Pam Stevenson Matthew Olde and Jacqui Cormack Sandy and Alan Bulmer Scott and Louise Wallace Rob Nicoll Curtain Call Anonymous Take A Bow Paul and Bev Le Grice Sandra Greenfield Marianne Willison Nicola Jeffares Ian Forrest Mindy Levene Rosemary Langham Terry Hibbit Louise Mountfort Shane Compton Applause Selwyn Bennet Geoff Dalbeth Bernard Kendall Claire Abel John and Barbara Lindsay Lyndell Simmonds Don and Lyn Jaine ATC welcomes Supporting Acts donations throughout the year. CONTACT BOX OFFICE ASB Waterfront Theatre 138 Halsey Street, Wynyard Quarter Subscriber Hotline: 09 309 3395 General Box Office: 0800 ATC TIX (282 849) boxoffice@atc.co.nz
TE RĒHIA THEATRE LIMITED Kaihautū | Company Director & Co-Artistic Director: Amber Curreen Kaiarahi | Co-Artistic Director: Tainui Tukiwaho Kaiwhakahaere | Administrators: Brady Peeti and Katrina George
Acknowledging the Te Rēhia Theatre Whānau: Acacia O’Conner Adam Rohe Amanda Rees Amanda Rose Ani-Piki Tuari Antonio Te Maioha Aroha Heeni Ascia Maybury
Baylee Watene-Kay Boni Tukiwaho Briar Collard Calvin Hudson Chris Rex Martin Donogh Rees Gerald Urquhart Kayne Peters Krystal Lee Brown Maia Ratana Nicol Munro
Rawiri Paratene Raymond Hawthorne Regan Taylor Richie Grzyb Richard Te Are Shadrack Simi Sharu Delilkan Tim Booth Tyler Wilson-Kokiri
MĀORI PERFORMING ARTS AND ARTISTS IN AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL Te Rēhia Theatre Company would like to encourage you to support some of the exciting Māori performing arts projects in Tāmaki Makaurau this March as part of the Toitū Te Reo programme in Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Arts Festival).
Ngā Herenga Waka
Ka Tito Au
Whānui Project
By Apirana Taylor
14 – 22 March | Waikowhai Intermediate
Tihei Mauri Ora! Ngā Herenga Waka, meaning “the binding of canoes,” is a celebration of all ages and cultures and a symbol of the people residing in Mount Roskill. The live carving by Ngati Whatua carvers Te Aroha Witika, and Len Phillips of a large community pou will be influenced by kōrero, wānanga, tuhituhi and other artistic forms.
15 – 24 March | Throughout Auckland
Tracing Kupe’s whakapapa and his connection to the islands and the ocean, his dramatic expedition on the waka Matahourua, and his climactic battle with the giant octopus Te Wheke-a-Muturangi, this thrilling odyssey, conceived as an epic poem by Taylor, spans myriad narratives ripe for rediscovery.
He Mokopuna He Tūpuna
Te Kuia Me Te Pūngāwerewere
Whānui Project
Produced by Taki Rua Productions and Capital E National Theatre for Children
23 March | Te Pou Theatre, Corban Estate Arts Centre
Elders and children of Waitākere share pūrākau of their lives in Waitākere through the magic of song, storytelling and theatre. Devised with the community in collaboration with Te Pou Theatre, this fascination-filled theatrical experience is drawn from a shared learning process undertaken on the beautiful whenua where we live, work and play.
24 March | Spiegeltent, Aotea Square
In this beloved tale, the kuia (female elder) argues with a large spider living in her kitchen and competes to see who can do the best weaving. While in the midst of their daily bickering, Kui and Pūpai are suddenly thrust from their home in Paekākāriki and into spider world. 29
From the screenwriter of The Queen and creator of Netflix’s The Crown
ASB season of
The Audience By Peter Morgan
8 – 23 May
atc.co.nz