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Written and Directed by
Hōhepa Waitoa -
Proudly supported by
Mā Te Reo -
In collaboration with
Taki Rua
A work in development from Taki Rua Productions and told in te reo, this story tells of Poutini and Waitaiki – love, challenge and danger and the myths of pounamu.
Every stone has a story, but none as poignant as the tale of Tamaahua, Poutini and Waitaiki. Kidnapped by Poutini the taniwha, the beautiful Waitaiki is held captive while her husband, Tamaahua, is hot on their heels in pursuit. Treasured and revered for its unique beauty, pounamu – the story of Aotearoa’s iconic stone.
He ingoa taniwha a Poutini – he tipua no te ao wairua. Koia te kaitiaki o Ngahue, te atua e kiia nei koia te atua o te pounamu. He kōrero tēnei mō Poutini rāua ko Waitaiki. He whakaari e whakatau ana i ngā uauatanga, ngā taero o Tūtekoropaka, a, me tēnei mea te aroha ki te tangata. Ka ruku tātou I ngā wai i kauria ai a Poutini ki te rapa i te kura e huna ana, arā, ko Te Pounamu.
Mai i tera ra ki naianei kei te tere haere tonu a Poutini i te Tai Hauauru o Te Waipounamu, i a ia e tiaki nei i te tangata whenua me te mauri o te pounamu. E mohiotia ana te Tai Hauauru o Te Waipounamu ko Te Tai o Poutini.
He Kura E Huna Ana is a total immersion Te Reo Māori piece and it will be the first time that such a work has been performed at The Court Theatre. We are pleased to announce that the show has completely sold out.
He Kura E Huna Ana combines traditional Māori performance elements with theatre in a modern re-telling of the origins of pounamu in the Arahura River. This kōrero sees the taonga of Māori mythology juxtaposed with a contemporary narrative about the harsh realities of life in the present day. He Kura E Huna Ana brings to life the Ngāti Waewae story about Poutini (the kaitiaki of pounamu on the West Coast) and Waitaiki and seeks to heighten awareness of mātauranga Māori, regional cultures and histories within Aotearoa.
Show Information
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Reviews
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Hine/Waitaiki - Kihere Aumua-Jahnke
This is a dual character and the protagonist in both the traditional and modern narrative. As a young girl her parents and twin sister were killed in a car crash so she was raised by her grandmother -Taua Te Kōiko. Since moving to the city to pursue her studies at University (Te Whare Wānanga) her stress levels and negative thoughts have increased.
Hine /Waitaiki is played by Kihere Aumua-Jahnke
Ko wai au? No Kāi Tahu toku hakui. No Ngāti Porou, Ngā Puhi, Tainui, no Hāmoa hoki toku Papa. Ko te 31st o Tīhema i te tau 1996 i whānau mai au. I whakaingoatia au e ia ko Fualili Toa’i Aumua-Jahnke. Heoi, ko te ingoa e mōhiotia, whānuitia ko Kihere. I kuraina au ki te Kura Kāreti o Turakina mai te tau 2010 ki te tau 2013. Whai muri i tēnā i hoki au ki Ōtautahi ki te tautoko i toku whanau. I oti ai au Te Kura Tuarua o Waihora. Ko ngā mea tino pai ki a au ko te mahi kapa haka, mahi toi, ako i te reo Māori hoki. Ahakoa he huarahi hou tēnei mōku, ko ōku wheako e tata ana ki te mahi whakaari ko taku tū mō te Cricket World Cup me te Matatini o te rā. Ināianei, he tauira ahau ki Te Puna Wānaka. Kei te whai au i te tohu o te Bachelor of Te Reo Māori and Indigenous Studies.My mum is from Kāi Tahu. My dad is from Ngāti Porou, Ngā Puhi, Tainui and Samoa. I was born on the 31st of December in 1996. I was named Fualili Toa’I Aumua-Jahnke, however, the name I am known by is Kihere. I studied at Turakina Māori Girls College from 2010 to 2013. After that I returned home to Christchurch to support my family. I finished off my schooling at Lincoln High School. My passions are Kapa Haka, Art and Te Reo Māori. This is a new pathway for me, the only experience I have had in anything close to theatre would be the Cricket World Cup and Te Matatini o te rā. At the moment I am a student at CPIT and am working towards a Bachelor of Te Reo Māori and Indigenous Studies.
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Tau / Tamaahua - Jared Hiakita
Tau/Tamaahua is a dual character serving as the partner of Hine /Waitaiki. Tau is a hard working road labourer who has become distant due to all of Hine’s work and study commitments. It is rumoured that he has cheated on Hine which is untrue as he is still very much in love with her.
Tamaahua is the unrelenting partner of Waitaiki.
Tau/Tamaahua is played by Jared Hiakita
‘Te manu kai miro, nōna te ngahere. Te manu kai mātauranga, nōna te ao’Ko Jared Hiakita tēnei. Rua tekau mā whitu ōna tau. Nō Te Waimana, i tipu tōna whakapapa mai Tūhoe, ā, kātahi anō ia kia hoki mai ki Aotearoa. E toru tau tōna nohoanga kei tāwāhi i whāngaitia he mātauranga e pā ana ki ngā mahi toi, te mahi kaiwhakatangitangi me te mahi whakamana i ngā rangatahi. Kua aro tōna ngākau ki te reo me ngā tikanga o te ao Māori nā reira ko tēnei whakaari hei whakatinana, hei whakapuaki tōna Māoritanga ki te ao.
Jared Hiakita – 27 years old, hailing from the Waimana Valley, descending from Ngai Tūhoe and recently returning from 3 years spent honing his craft overseas. Currently Jared is employed by Toi Māori Aotearoa and is completing an internship with The Court Theatre. Jared comes from a background working in community youth development and is an accomplished musician and arts practitioner. Passionate about all things Māori this production is an opportunity for him to embody and express this side of his heritage.
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Taua Te Kōiko (Taua) - Tania Gilchrist
This is the staunch and loving grandmother of Hine. She is the repository for all narratives about her people, serving as a protector of the river and all its beauty. She is very lonely without her grandchild who has recently returned to the homestead. Her character is symbolic of Hine Hoaka.
Taua Te Kōiko (Taua) is played by Tania Gilchrist
Tania-GilchristNgāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Whanau Apanui.
Ko Paekura ki tōku tāringa, ko Waekanae ki tōku ringa.
I ako a Tania i te mahi whakaari ki te Christchurch Academy i te tau kotahi mano e iwa rau e waru tekau mā whitu. Whai muri i tērā, i riro ia ētahi tūranga i ētahi whakaaturanga pērā i a Shark in the Park, Neighbourhood Watch me ētahi atu momo. I te tau kotahi mano e iwa rau e iwa tekau tū ai hei kaiwhakaari i te whakaaturanga The Billy James Show. Whai muri i tērā i hunuku atu ki Otautahi me te whakatipu āna tamariki. Ināianei, ko ia tētahi tauira tūao ki Te Puna Wānaka, e ako ana i Te Reo Māori. Ko tēnei hokinga ki te whatārangi mā te ao Māori, hei whakawhenumi te ara i ōna wairua e rua.
Tania studied acting at The Christchurch Academy in 1987. Following that she secured roles in television shows like Shark in the Park, Neighbourhood Watch and many others. In 1990 she won a role in The Billy T James Show. She returned to Christchurch after that to raise her family. Tania is now a part time student at Te Puna Wānaka, learning Te Reo Māori. She hopes her return to the stage is an opportunity to blend her passion for Te Ao Māori and acting.
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Whatipu (Taniwha /Kaitiaki) - Kristopher Jones
Whatipu is the guardian of sandstone and the minion of Hine Hoaka. He is both fierce and strong serving as the arch nemesis of Poutini. He also serves as a kaitiaki for Taua Te Kōiko who is symbolic of Hine Hoaka.
Whatipu (Taniwha /Kaitiaki) is played by Kristopher Jones
Kris-JonesKo Kris tōku ingoa. Rua tekau te tau. I puta au i te kura tuarua o Te Iringa o Kahukura. He amokapua au i raro i te korowai o Tu Toka Tu Ariki. ko te wānanga taiaha te kaupapa rongonui o mātou. Ko te kaupapa ano o mātou he whakanui ngā kēmu tawhito i ngā kura tuatahi.
I mahi au ki tērā tau. i kuraina ana au ki te mātāpuna o te mātauranga. Whai au taku tohu paitahi i tēnei tau.
My name is Kris and I’m twenty years of age. I graduated from Cashmere High School and am a Amokapua ranked tutor under Tu Toka Tu Ariki (a camp specialising in teaching the use of taiaha).
Another subject we teach are the traditional Māori games of our ancestors like Kī-o-rahi which I enjoy. I am currently studying at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology where I aim
to complete a Bachelors degree. -
Playwright: Hōhepa Waitoa
I tipu mai tēnei i raro i ngā rangaranga o Kahukura ahakoa he uri nō te tai rāwhiti.
Ko ahau te pōtiki o te whānau Waitoa, ā, nō mātou i te kura o Aranui i tīmata kē tā mātou takahi i te ara o te reo māori.
Ināianei nā, katoa mātou e whakaporo riaka ana mō te reo, te hāpori me te mātauranga māori.
He Pouwhakamānawa ki te Puna Wānaka mō te tohu pae tahi o te reo māori me ngā tikanga o ngā iwi taketake.
Ko Hōhepa Waitoa tēnei e mihi atu nei.
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Production Team
Hōhepa Waitoa: Playwright & Director
Juanita Hepi: Associate Director
Tanemahuta Gray: Executive Producer
Grace Hoet: Producer
Sheree Waitoa: Sound Designer
Hemi Hoskins: CPIT Executive
Vanessa Gray: Stage Manager
Moana Davey: Production ManagerWith assistance from Nigel Kerr, Daniel Pengelly, Sarah Douglas, Giles Tanner and Mandy Perry.