Hide the Dog REVIEW 15 June 2023 ***

THEATRE

Co-written by Tasmanian playwright, Nathan Maynard, (trawlwoolway pakana) & Aotearoa writer, Jamie McCaskill (Māori)

Rising Festival & Performing Lines

At Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne until Sat 17 June 2023

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: ***

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 24 June 2023.

Hide the Dog-image Pat Stevenson_supplied

Hide the Dog, directed by Isaac Drandic, is a children’s show that is a tale of friendship and cultural connection between Niarra (Najwa Adams Ebel), an indigenous Australian girl, and her friend Te Umuroa (Poroaki Merritt-McDonald), a boy of Maori descent who has little knowledge of his Maori culture or language. The friends rescue Tigs (Glory Tuohy-Daniell), a Tasmanian Tiger, from the hunters that pursue her, by building a canoe and paddling her to Aotearoa (New Zealand).

 

The audience of 5-10 years old were captivated (with only a few exceptions in the row in front of me) by the story of the creation of the Tassie Tiger, the vivid characters and evocative projections of ocean and landscape. The kids squealed with delight at Niarra and Te’s playful antics and every time one of them said “poo”, and roared laughing at the Maori Wind God’s (Tyler Wilson Kokiri) fart gags. Lisa Maza plays the imposing First nations spirits.

 

The most enthralling performance in this production is the gentle, graceful and lyrical movement of (Tuohy-Daniell) as Tigs. Costumed in a dog’s head with striped back and large bouncing tail, Tigs is a favourite with the children.

 

The show is co-written by Tasmanian playwright Nathan Maynard (trawlwoolway pakana) and Aotearoa writer Jamie McCaskill (Māori). Their cross-cultural collaboration extends to the narrative itself. This play raises issues about the importance of knowledge of one’s own culture and of acceptance of the culture of others. It does so through the broad, comic characters and their personal stories and through the representations of traditional elements from both cultures.

 

This cross-fertilisation of the two cultures is a significant and successful collaboration, and a first for a children’s show and perhaps for theatre in general.

 

by Kate Herbert

 

Cast

Actor	Cultural References	Character
Lisa Maza	(Mer/ Yidinji/ Dutch)	Multiple characters, First Nations spirits
Tyler Wilson Kokiri	Māori	Multiple characters, Māori spirits
Najwa Adams Ebel	Birri-Gubba	Niarra
Poroaki Merritt-McDonald	Māori	Te Umuroa
Glory Tuohy-Daniell	(Indjalandji-Dhidhanu/ Alyewarre)	Tigs

Hide the Dog-JacintaKeefePhotography-

Director | Isaac Drandic (Noongar)

Co-Writer | Nathan Maynard (Trawlwoolway / pakana)

Co-Writer | Jamie McCaskill (Ngāti Tamaterā/ Te Ati Haunui a Pāpārangi/ Ngā Puhi)

Director | Isaac Drandic (Noongar)

Assistant Director and pakana Cultural Advisor | Nathan Maynard (Trawlwoolway / pakana)

Cast | Tyler Wilson Kokiri (Māori), Najwa Adams Ebel (Birri-Gubba), Poroaki Merritt-McDonald (Māori), Lisa Maza (Mer/ Yidinji/ Dutch) and Glory T Daniell (Indjalandji-Dhidhanu/ Alyewarre)

Set Designer | Jane Hakaraia (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga)

Sound Designer | Maaka McGregor (Māori)

Lighting Designer | Ben Hughes

AV Designer | Keith Deverell

Costume Designer | Sabio Evans

Sound and Vocals | Katanya Maynard

Associate Designer and pakana Guide | Deni Proctor (pakana)

Boat Techincal Design | Greg Methe

Additional Cultural Advisor | Maakarita Paku

Muyini Song Lyric Contributor | Kaninna Langford (First Nations) and Jordy Gregg (Murrie)

pakana Cultural Advisor | Nathan Manynard (Trawlwoolway / pakana)

Additional Māori Advice | Maaka McGregor (Māori)

pakana Visual Advisor | Denni Proctor (pakana)

Additional Cultural Advice | Maakarita Paku

Education Kit | Dr Meg Upton with Theresa Sainty (pakana) and Kimo Winiata (Māori)

Producer | Performing Lines (TAS)