Following its international premiere in Vancouver and an acclaimed Aotearoa season at Te Pou Theatre during Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki, Te Tangi a Te Tūī now travels to five North Island centres as part of the PANNZ National Touring Programme. Audiences across the motu are invited to experience this visually arresting and emotionally stirring work, deeply rooted in te ao Māori.
“visually and emotionally powerful” - Stir Vancouver
An epic tale of love, loss and hope, weaving te reo Māori and cirque theatre.
By Tainui Tukiwaho and Amber Curreen. A collaboration between Te Pou Theatre and The Dust Palace
He karanga nō te kainga. Pulling us heart first back to the ngāhere.
The Tūī soaks up the world around it and responds in song. Though beautiful, its tune is now a faint echo of what it once was when Aotearoa was blanketed in the ngāhere, flutes of patupaiarehe filled the trees and Māori alone walked gently upon their mother.
Te Tangi a Te Tūī invites you to experience an enchanting and empowering Māori cirque theatre work about adaptation and authenticity.This collaboration between kaupapa Māori theatre company, Te Pou Theatre and circus theatre company, The Dust Palace, is an evocative narrative of love and loss between Māori and the natural world in the face of colonial impact.
The show features an incredibly talented cast of performers including, Ria Paki, Eve Gordon, Joe Dekkers-Reihana, Paku Fernandez, Tainui Tukiwaho, Te Rongopai Cureen-Tukiwaho, Luis Meirelles, Anthony Te Puke, Mary Piggin and Mia van Oyen.
After sell out seasons in Vancouver and Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Tangi a Te Tūī is set to tour Te Ika-a-Māui in August 2025.
Kaituhi / Writer - Amber Curreen
Kaituhi, Ringatohu, Kaiwaihanga /Writer, Director, Co-Creator - Tainui Tukiwaho
Kaiwaihanga /Co-Creator - Eve Gordon
Whakawhiti Reo /Script Translation - Te Rau Kete Ltd (Haani Huata) & Ōmanapou Ltd (Maioha Allen)
Mātanga Reo Māori / Te Reo Māori Consultant - Maioha Allen
Movement Consultant / Kaiwhakarite Nukuhanga - Ria Paki
Kaiwhakarite Whakaari / Producer - Rachael Dubois
Ringatohu Maninirau / Circus Director - Geoff Gilson
Kaihoahoa Rama, Ātaamira / Lighting, Set & Apparatus Design - Jane Hakaraia
Kaihoahoa Oro / Sound Design - Crescendo Studio: David Atai & James Zambucka
Kaihoahoa Kaka / Costume Design - Eve Gordon
Kaihoahoa Kūne / Technical Director -Emily Hakaraia
Kaiwharite Ātaamira / Stage Manager - Edward Peni
Ringa whakahaere Oro/Rama / Lighting & Sound Operator - Michael Goodwin
Ringa whakahaere hiki / Riggers - Josh Davern & Andrew Gibson
Proudly presented by The Dust Palace, Te Pou Theatre and PANNZ, with support from Baycourt, Sir Howard Morrison, TSB Showplace, Forum North and Turner Centre.
There will be a matinee and evening show in each centre, and kura / school groups are encouraged to contact the theatre near them to access discounted tickets.
Performed entirely in te reo Māori, the production surrounds audiences with the richness of the language and its cultural resonance. Those who are fluent or on their te reo Māori journey will enjoy the full immersion experience.
Those with limited knowledge of te reo Māori and wishing to engage more deeply will be provided with a full English-language synopsis and radio play upon booking (This can also be listened to below). The recording ensures the work remains accessible to all, allowing audiences to connect with the performance at whatever level suits them.
