Te Tangi a Te Tūī
Arts Market
Information
Te Tangi ā te Tūī, he karanga no te kainga, pulling us heart-first back to the ngāhere.
The loss of the legendary original voice of the Tūī provided the inspiration of this work; a parallel to the loss of Te Reo Māori. Te Tangi ā te Tūī tells a tale of love and hope that spans generations.
Tūī soaks up the world around it and responds in song. Though beautiful, his tune now is 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. This new work brings together Kaupapa Māori theatre and cirque theatre to create an evocative narrative of love and loss between Māori, Patupairehe and the natural world in the face of colonial impact.
Our story speaks in parallel to te reo Māori, the voice of the tangata whenua and grave significance of kaitiakitanga of Aotearoa around climate change and the world-wide loss of biodiversity. Te Tangi ā te Tūī is a Māori circus theatre work about adaptation and authenticity.
By concurrently developing narrative, design, movement and circus language, Te Tangi ā te Tūī has forged a new path in Indigenous cirque theatre.
Company
Te Rēhia Theatre Company & The Dust Palace
Company / Artist Bio
Te Rēhia Theatre, established 2012, is a proudly Māori theatre company, championing Māori playwrights, tikanga Māori arts practice, te reo Māori and the presentation of our diverse stories. The company is led by Amber Curreen and Tainui Tukiwaho and based at Te Pou - The Auckland home of Māori Theatre.
We keenly support Māori playwrights;works include Astroman (2019), SolOthello (2014-18), BLACK TIES (2020) and KŌPŪ (2023 - 2025).
The Dust Palace, established by Eve Gordon and Mike Edward in 2009, is now the leading circus theatre company in Aotearoa. The Dust Palace exists to elevate contemporary circus culture, grabbing audiences by the guts, shifting hearts, minds and lifting spirits. We build multi-generational creative capacity in the circus performers of Aotearoa. Collaborations include;DAWN and MIDNIGHT with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, TOP OF THE HEAP with Auckland Arts Festival;international tours of THE WONDERWOMBS and THE GOBLIN MARKET with The Cultch in Vancouver and large-scale stadium shows ITHACA and LE CIRQUE VOLÉ, and HUMAN. Our latest shows include party cabaret HAUS of YOLO and family environmental show THE ICE CREAM IS MELTING!
Location
New Zealand/Aotearoa
Audience
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse People
Venue suitability
Black boxProscenium archConcert hall
Reviews
"Visually and emotionally powerful...TeTangi ate Tūī is as beautiful as it is insightful, timely, and thought-provoking, in all its complexity" - Vince Kanasoot, Stir Vancouver
Trailer
Duration
2 hours 20 minutes (20 min interval)
Touring Party
13
Previous Seasons
2023 The Cultch, Vancouver
2024 Te Pou Theatre, Auckland Arts Festival, Auckland
2025 Baycourt Theatre, Tauranga
Sir Howard Morison Centre, Rotorua
TSB Showplace, Taranaki
Forum North, Whangarei
Turner Centre, Kerikeri
Estimated Remount Cost
$20k+
Weekly Sell-Off Fee
$20k+
Royalty %
10
Availability
202620272028
Partners
This work is a partnership between Te Rēhia Theatre Company and The Dust Palace. We are currently working with PANNZ Tourmakers to tour this year.
Instagram
@thedustpalace @terehiatheatre
Facebook
@thedustpalace @terehiatheatre
Contact Name
Rachel Dubois
Contact Phone
0064225427057
Contact Email
rachaeldubois@thedustpalace.co.nz and amber@terehiatheatre.co.nz
Technical Specifications
Program information
Presentation date
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Presentation type
Pitch