SYNOPSIS
What is more honourable: the truth that hurts, or the lie that
heals?
Everyone in the remote township of Omoana is proud of Matt Paku,
who left the East Coast to train as a doctor and now has a
successful practice in Auckland. Proudest of all is his old, blind
father Werihe, who basks in this success via his son's letters
which are read to him by Emma Gilhooly, the no-nonsense local
postmistress. Every New Year's Eve, Matt comes home and the whole
community celebrates. But things are different this year: Gilhooly
has devastating news; news that she must keep from old Werihe at
all costs if he's to hold onto his belief in his son.
Alongside The Pohutukawa Tree and The End Of The Golden Weather,
Awatea completes Bruce Mason's classic trilogy of powerful New
Zealand dramas: a thrilling, heart-wrenching, morally tough,
fiercely realistic study of betrayal and disillusionment.
"Back in 1968, I was privileged to see famous New Zealand opera
bass Inia Te Wiata and a young George Henare as father and son in
the premiere of this beautiful, moving story set in a remote East
Coast township in the 1960s. Now George, one of our most revered
and honoured actors, will take on the role of blind koro Werihe. Te
Kohe Tuhaka will play Matt, the prodigal son. A true feast of
talent." - Colin
Contains occasional use of strong language
PLAY DURATION:
Approx 2 hours and 25 minutes INCLUDING A 20 MINUTE INTERVAL
THE
BUZZ
REVIEW
NZ Herald
A magnificent showcase for the extraordinary talent of George
Henare, who appeared in the original 1968 production. His
performance as the blind patriarch at the centre of the ...
Reviewed By Paul Simei-BartonREAD REVIEW
Article
Inside Awatea: Stumbling through ...
On Tuesday, AWATEA had its first ‘stumble run’ - the first time all the scenes are played together in sequence without stopping. Director Colin McColl has to save his notes to t...
Blog Article By James WenleyREAD FULL ARTICLE