Courtney Rose Brown
Nan and Tuna have struck up a friendship that has spanned seventy years, we get to see their final journey. Presented by String Bean Puppets, Nan and Tuna is a delightful show with a beautiful allegory about the environment and how it should be cared for. Anna Bailey wraps environmental issues amongst softer themes such as friendship and compassion, sparking a feeling of responsibility. Performed for one day only at the Wellington Museum as part of The New Zealand Fringe Festival, Nan and Tuna is a show that I would love to see again and would encourage a tour around schools.
Bailey is clearly passionate about the environment and keen to educate. She begins the show with a few quick facts about longfin eels (tuna) to provide background information, and it’s not just children who learn a lot before the show even starts! The start of the show is met with a stream of questions from children and we receive multiple perspectives from parents. This brings in another layer to the show, as I begin to see the world through not only my eyes, but through the eyes of the younger members of the audience. I find myself responding more vocally than normal as their sense of wonder is infectious. When Tuna arrives, splashing his way through real water, we all squeal with surprise and joy.
Nan and Tuna is set at a park alongside the river. We see the depth of the river as a fish bowl is incorporated to the rectangular shape of the staging, where Tuna does some spectacular tricks, at times splashing members of the audience with water, who erupt in giggles. Tuna speaks in Te Reo Maori, tying Nan and Tuna to roots of New Zealand history, as the longfin eel is an endangered New Zealand species. Sam, her grandson, meets Tuna and the underlying question becomes apparent, who will look after the river when Nan is gone?
Bailey uses a range of different types of puppets: string, cloth, water (Tuna and those that swim with him) and shadow puppetry. The shadow puppetry is beautiful, the incorporation of water giving the journey a magical quality. The different styles of puppets, does make it a little fiddly for a thirty minute show. Despite this, Bailey manipulates them with skill. An enchanting moment is when Tuna and Nana swim out through the audience and I believe I saw a few wet eyes.
I thoroughly enjoyed Nan and Tuna, and would absolutely recommend it to audiences of all ages. It is an important story that raises awareness of the care the environment requires, whilst also showing the importance of friendship. Bailey, after her performance, then shows the audience how each puppet works, giving each member of the audience a chance to play with the puppets. I loved how she bookended the show, with bonus rounds of information, not only entertaining but providing an approachable realm of learning.
Nan and Tuna is set at a park alongside the river. We see the depth of the river as a fish bowl is incorporated to the rectangular shape of the staging, where Tuna does some spectacular tricks, at times splashing members of the audience with water, who erupt in giggles. Tuna speaks in Te Reo Maori, tying Nan and Tuna to roots of New Zealand history, as the longfin eel is an endangered New Zealand species. Sam, her grandson, meets Tuna and the underlying question becomes apparent, who will look after the river when Nan is gone?
Bailey uses a range of different types of puppets: string, cloth, water (Tuna and those that swim with him) and shadow puppetry. The shadow puppetry is beautiful, the incorporation of water giving the journey a magical quality. The different styles of puppets, does make it a little fiddly for a thirty minute show. Despite this, Bailey manipulates them with skill. An enchanting moment is when Tuna and Nana swim out through the audience and I believe I saw a few wet eyes.
I thoroughly enjoyed Nan and Tuna, and would absolutely recommend it to audiences of all ages. It is an important story that raises awareness of the care the environment requires, whilst also showing the importance of friendship. Bailey, after her performance, then shows the audience how each puppet works, giving each member of the audience a chance to play with the puppets. I loved how she bookended the show, with bonus rounds of information, not only entertaining but providing an approachable realm of learning.