Brummie accents and AI: The sci-fi show reimagining our future

Aqua Nullius: Toe Fai! and Talaucaka is a Pasifika sci-fi double bill that imagines a world nearly a century from now.

Climate change has reshaped the ocean, and technology has changed how we hold onto our past.

But as the indigenous-led arts collective, Studio Kiin shows, no matter how much the world changes, our connection to ancestry remains the gluing force.

The play series, written and directed by Emele Ugavule (Tokelau, Uvea, Fiji), the story follows Kalala, a British Museum guide turned data annotator, as she navigates a future of digital colonialism.

Speaking on Island Time, actors Maurea Perez-Varea and Te Ata Tu Patelesio say that the chance to jump into a speculative genre was too good to miss.

“When I heard ‘Pacific sci-fi’, I was like, tell me no more, I’ll do it,” Perez-Varea says. “It’s a beautiful story about connection in a whole different universe.”

Watch Maurea Perez-Varea and Te Ata Tu Patelesio's full interview below.

Patelesio explains that the sci-fi setting is a new lens to look at the struggles we face today.

"It’s imagining what the future might look like for Pacific Islanders," he says.

"We’re trying to imagine what future issues we might face, or how we might have solutions in the future for things we’re seeing happening right now."

A graduate of Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), and Te Kura Toi Whakaari o Aotearoa: NZ Drama School, Ugavule is a multidisciplinary storyteller and the current Kaitātaki Whakaari (Acting Lecturer) at Toi Whakaari of which both Varea and Patelesio are recent graduates.

While Aqua Nullius features the high-energy fātele and tri-lingual dialogue in English, Gagana Tokelau, and Vosa vakaViti, there is one detail that is catching audiences off guard: the Birmingham accents.

The characters are based in the United Kingdom, which meant the majority-Tokelauan cast had to master the “Brummie” accent under a professional coach, Hilary Norris.

Despite the heavy themes of ecological collapse and digital colonialism, Varea says the joy of the Pacific remains at the centre of the production.

She describes the rehearsal room as being full of "too much yapping" and vibrant energy.

"The biggest thing [audiences can expect] is connection and laughter," she says. “We want people to go away feeling like they have to appreciate everything they have now...hold on to your culture because it’s beautiful."

Emele Ugavule was named the 2024 Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence at the Victoria University of Wellington|Te Herenga Waka. Photo/Teresa Tan/Victoria University

The production is a mix of contemporary choreography and deep thinking. Whether you are here for the futuristic tech or the traditional roots, Patelesio says the goal is to leave the audience moved.

“You might come have a cry, you might come have a think, or a 'wow' at the production. Hopefully, you go away moved.”

Aqua Nullius: Toe Fai! and Talaucaka runs at Wellington’s Circa Theatre until 16 May. For those in the capital this week, there is a "Pick Your Price" Tuesday, on 5 May.

The show heads across the Tasman to Perth in August.

About Studio Kiin

Studio Kiin was founded in 2021 and operates across Australia, Aotearoa, and the Pacific. The collective prioritises story sovereignty, kinship, and healing, creating timely and urgent work.

Cast and creative team

Writer and Director - Emele Ugavule

Co-Director and Actor - Kasaya Manulevu

Actors - Selina Alesana Alefosio, Te Ata Tu Patelesio, Maurea Perez-Varea, Kasaya Manulevu, Thomas Smith

AV Designer - Reuben Nicolas

Sound Designer - Ephraim Frame

Lighting Designer and Production Manager - Alexander Dickson

Set Designer - Grace O’Brien

Stage Manager/Operator - Mannuel Caballero

Accent Coach - Hilary Norris