Q Theatre Auckland

In a perfect world ‘theatres would be the modern marae’ according to choreographer Jack Gray, it’s no surprise then that his latest work Mitimiti embodies this sentiment

Exploring his Te Rarawa whakapapa, Mitimiti exposes the relationship between earthly elements and its inhabitants, the perfect juxtaposition of dance and movement creating the mauri or life force

Atamira’s fluidity is captivating, graceful and sensual. The evolution of life in Mitimiti translates wonderfully onstage while Francois Richomme’s syncopated soundtrack is tantamount, for me its kinetic role in the show as equally mesmerising

Mitimiti is the birth place of noted artist Ralph Hotere, his drawing ‘Tumoana, I Runga O Hione Hei Tangi’ appears briefly while international artists from Australia, Guahan and Kiowa nations also pay homage with their contributions

The show is a rich tapestry of sight and sound. The karanga and haka feature but are not overdone, video footage shot up on huge draping sheets overhead enhance the overall experience and for some this may be their only foray onto a modern ‘marae’ type milieu

As it is a gallery type show I would suggest to get in early to seat yourself on the floor as the show is quite long (there is limited seating upstairs)

There is so much going on its almost quite hard to take all in, the story and choreography open to interpretation but its message of unity is hard to ignore. Mitimiti is rewarding and every bit as captivating as its Hokianga namesake

Mitimiti is on until Saturday Oct 3rd – for more details see http://www.qtheatre.co.nz/mitimiti