‘Unruly tourists’ return to Takapuna in operatic form

Takapuna will host the world premiere of opera The Unruly Tourists this month, a satirical production that cuts close to home.

To be staged at the Bruce Mason Centre, the ground-breaking Opera New Zealand performances are a highlight of the Auckland Arts Festival programme. They will also be a test for the taste of North Shore audiences for opera, as the company seeks to broaden its reach.

With an opening scene set on Takapuna Beach, The Unruly Tourists is as much an exploration of how New Zealanders responded to the shenanigans of a visiting family of UK travellers as it is about the group who littered, stole and swore their way around the country until they were deported in 2019.

Director Thomas de Mallet Burgess describes the opera as “a very irreverent comedy”.

Just 90 minutes long and sung in English, it has a 15-strong cast drawn from both the classical tradition and musical theatre.

“One of the reasons we chose the story is we were looking for something that reflected our time and place in Aotearoa,” he says.

Cue Takapuna residents Michelle and Louise lounging on their beach bemoaning in song the accumulation of seaweed upon it and wondering why the council doesn’t sort out the mess.

De Mallet Burgess slyly notes that the tourists said in their own defence that they thought the council would pick up the rubbish they left behind, sparking outrage during their visit to Takapuna.

This began a saga that took them through the country, with the media that dubbed them “unruly” hot on their trail.

The opera was written by stand-up comics Livi Reihana and Amanda Kennedy, a duo also known as The Fan Brigade. They were commissioned to come up with the libretto and work with composer and music director Luke Di Somma.

“There is in the story aspects that relate to te ao Māori,” says de Mallet Burgess. A fictional lead character is a young Māori journalist who has suppressed her cultural values in the bid to make a name for herself. As she chases the story, this raises troubling aspects of the nationwide pursuit beyond its being a sensational yarn.

De Mallet Burgess notes that when the saga erupted it provoked a range of reactions among New Zealanders. He hopes audiences will enjoy having this explored, even if it might poke fun in unexpected places.

“The tourists are the catalyst for chaos in the story but it’s a satire and no one is spared. It’s not only about their bad behaviour, but our response to it, and the media response.” Other stories were sidelined as this one dominated headlines for weeks.

To ensure the production did not take advantage of the tourists in how they were portrayed as being from the traveller community, cultural consultants were on board.

Mixing singing styles of performers was employed not just to aid approachability for audiences, but to underline the different styles of the opera’s characters.

They are clad in colourful costumes by Tracy Grant Lord.

An ensemble cast of singers includes Matthew Kereama from Milford, who has featured in a previous Observer for his work with Auckland Theatre Company, and acting grand dame Jennifer Ward-Lealand

Staging is in the round, with a mix of cabaret-style seating at tables ringing the action, and more traditional rows. To achieve this the theatre is first being stripped out in rock-concert mode, says de Mallet Burgess.

When he spoke to the Observer, the production was several weeks into rehearsals, with stage rehearsals on set at the theatre to come in the week leading into opening night.

“We’re looking to build an audience, not just in [younger] demographics,” he says. Regional tours and satellite venues are part of this, along with innovative programming. A recent example is the collaboration with Devonport-based musician Tim Finn, for The Navigator which was performed in Manurewa and Petone.

“It’s the first time in quite a while we’ve been up in the North Shore,” says de Mallet Burgess. Touring The Unruly Tourists would be an aim, though it is an expensive business. He hopes the experimental subject matter and combination of music, text, stage action and comedy, will prove a winner.

De Mallet Burgess says it is up to local audiences to book seats if they want more opera on their doorstep.

“If they turn out, we will come again, with a more classic opera.”

• The Unruly Tourists by Opera New Zealand, Bruce Mason Centre, 22-26 March. Tickets from nzopera.com.

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