Manamea's sold-out Māngere shows a 'home away from home'

The much awaited and already sold-out second season of Manamea by Sau E Siva Creatives will be a special homecoming, says choreographer Italia Hunt.

A celebration of Siva Sāmoa, Hunt is part of the production’s creative team of choreographers including Artistic Director Troy Tu’ua, Idalene Ati, Leki Bourke Jackson, and Bob Epine Savea.

The team behind the hugely successful Manamea show. Photo/Supplied

Manamea, a high-end show with its cast numbering almost 60 launched last year at Q Theatre in the heart of Auckland city. Hunt says bringing the production back to South Auckland, at the Māngere Arts Centre pays homage to the creative team and its large cast, many who had honed their skills locally.

“This is our home away from home, the Māngere Arts Centre. Many of us started out in our garages in South Auckland, this is where we’re located and live.”

He said their successful debut performance of Manamea (Sweetheart) in the CBD last year saw every seat sell out; and he was grateful for the opportunity to bring the show back to their community.

“To bring this out south for our people, to have the opportunity to watch our show, for the community to be able to see it, I’m very grateful for that. There were a lot of people from our community who couldn’t get tickets.”

Photo/ Supplied

Unsurprisingly season two has already sold out but Hunt is hopeful that with seven shows in the offering, the community will be able to appreciate the scale and impact of Manamea.

“This is a production where we are working with large numbers, we have roughly around 60 cast members. When you add lighting, sound effects, live drumming, and a live band, there’s a grateful feeling appreciating everything you see.”

For many in the cast, he says it would not only be their first time performing in a theatre but also the first time stepping into a theatre. With the creative team all professional performing artists, he says introducing the community to theatre was very special.

“There’s so much going on, they get to go the behind the scenes and see what actually goes on into putting on a production, they get to understand and appreciate all of that.”

Manamea is set against the backdrop of a love story between Palepa and Sitione who fall deeply in love under a full moon but become enmeshed in an ongoing family dispute over land.

The show itself brings to centre stage performances that are usually witnessed at celebrations and family gatherings. However Hunt says theatre-goers will see these in a completely new light with the high-tech and production of the theatre environment.

“We are working with the big numbers, it’s a large ensemble, and with the staging, and lighting … they’ll see performances usually seen at celebration and at events showcased in a different light, using the production side of things, it’s going to be awesome.”

The show opens tonight at the Māngere Arts Centre (Friday April19) to a sold-out season.