Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin
Ration the Queen’s Veggies is a solo(ish) play written by Te Wehi Ratana and Tainui Tukiwaho, directed by Tainui Tukiwaho and performed by actor Ngahiriwa Rauhina. Brought to us by Te Pou Theatre, it is an unreal retelling of real happenings. It shares the remarkable experience of the abseiling activist Te Wehi Ratana during his 48 hours at Rimutaka Prison.
The Circa 2 stage is made to look like a “typical Māori theatre production”, Rauhina accentuates, drawing our attention to the Tino Rangatiratanga flag in a road cone by one side of the stage and a guitar on a stand by the other. This is a deliberate trick by Ration The Queen’s Veggies to challenge your unconscious responses to seeing certain, static, culturally-cemented items. Te Wehi Ratana was put in a Rimutaka prison for 48 hours, and currently released on bail, for correcting a copy of the Treaty of Waitangi- creating our country’s most famous example of political blackout poetry.
The context of this story takes place mostly in prison and follows the 48 hours that it took for Ratana to enter and leave again. In that time he gathered signatures from many inmates about how they felt towards his actions: overwhelmingly positive and that racism sucks. It bounces between Rauhina as an enamoured young person learning about Ratana’s story, and them embodying it.
Ratana can’t be here for his own production. He is banned from Wellington. However, to bring life to his theatre taonga is Rauhina who commits to an energetic embodiment of the pivotal protest and its repercussions. He comes across as a genuine fan, rather than just playing one, and is much more spritely and jolly than the poster image may suggest.
Rauhina is a ball of energy. But he can also capture a silence and sit in it comfortably, letting his thinking do the talking. Ratana and Tukiwaho have conjured a version of the story that is playful, light, evocative and powerful. It keeps you laughing and by doing so we open our mouths to harsh truths/reminders. To consistently be reminded of how change isn’t happening, and to be part of an echo-chamber that is the first to remind itself of how bad a situation we are all still in, is when a sense of lightness is needed. We see bad news and injustice every day and I reckon the way Te Pou Theatre keeps their show fun, engaging and entertaining is in Rauhina’s energising performance.
I recently met someone who was working in Te Papa when it happened. A company’s perspective on injustice is an interesting thing considering they are only legal entities composed of many, many human ones who walk and talk. However, companies can formulate protocols for what people are to do or say rather than speak their mind on the job. Te Papa had a similar response where they gave staff a clear indication to not speak about it (I can’t find a link for this because it was word of mouth- you will simply have to believe me!).
It got me thinking that prisoners are more free to condemn those in charge and the structures in place than I am as a high school teacher. Perhaps this is an over-simplification, but just something that Ration The Queens Veggies got me thinking about.
Ration the Queens Veggies is on until 13th September at Circa Theatre. Go while you can, more info here.
The context of this story takes place mostly in prison and follows the 48 hours that it took for Ratana to enter and leave again. In that time he gathered signatures from many inmates about how they felt towards his actions: overwhelmingly positive and that racism sucks. It bounces between Rauhina as an enamoured young person learning about Ratana’s story, and them embodying it.
Ratana can’t be here for his own production. He is banned from Wellington. However, to bring life to his theatre taonga is Rauhina who commits to an energetic embodiment of the pivotal protest and its repercussions. He comes across as a genuine fan, rather than just playing one, and is much more spritely and jolly than the poster image may suggest.
Rauhina is a ball of energy. But he can also capture a silence and sit in it comfortably, letting his thinking do the talking. Ratana and Tukiwaho have conjured a version of the story that is playful, light, evocative and powerful. It keeps you laughing and by doing so we open our mouths to harsh truths/reminders. To consistently be reminded of how change isn’t happening, and to be part of an echo-chamber that is the first to remind itself of how bad a situation we are all still in, is when a sense of lightness is needed. We see bad news and injustice every day and I reckon the way Te Pou Theatre keeps their show fun, engaging and entertaining is in Rauhina’s energising performance.
I recently met someone who was working in Te Papa when it happened. A company’s perspective on injustice is an interesting thing considering they are only legal entities composed of many, many human ones who walk and talk. However, companies can formulate protocols for what people are to do or say rather than speak their mind on the job. Te Papa had a similar response where they gave staff a clear indication to not speak about it (I can’t find a link for this because it was word of mouth- you will simply have to believe me!).
It got me thinking that prisoners are more free to condemn those in charge and the structures in place than I am as a high school teacher. Perhaps this is an over-simplification, but just something that Ration The Queens Veggies got me thinking about.
Ration the Queens Veggies is on until 13th September at Circa Theatre. Go while you can, more info here.