Tafatolu - A Response
OK, full disclosure: I am the biggest sook you have (n)ever met.
Usually, I walk out of Basement Theatre in emotional tatters - like, a blubbering mess. My visceral response is a testament to the potency of the themes, and the mana (spiritual power) of the artistry in every show I have attended there... Aaand the fact that I could not be mysterious or aloof if I TRIED.
So, you can imagine my pleasantly gobsmacked expression as I bounced out of Basey last week feeling completely energised!
Tafatolu was fucking funny. The show left me seeking more of that playfulness in every nook and cranny of my life.
Core memories were UNLOCKED! My favourite scene(s) involved heated rounds of Suipi, which is a Samoan card game that I - along with the “sweeping” majority of my cousins - played with my nana 20 years ago.
The choreography was TEA! She was giving Disney but make it P a c i f i c. High energy. Skilful transitions. Vivid shapes. To be honest, I felt like I was back in my childhood bedroom making up dances with my besties (who were related to me, and had to stay the night at my house because our parents were having some big, important yarn at the kitchen table). Watching these sequences was like standing in front of the T.V. trying to copy some pop diva’s moves, and seamlessly adding siva inflections - obviously?!
Costumes, crafted by none other than JonJon Tolovae herself, reflected a diasporic yearning for traditional cultural practices, while acknowledging the resourceful creativity of city kids who belong to the Islands. Simple, bold motifs that referenced siapo patterns imprinted on material that resembled a lightweight version of tapa cloth, brought a sense of cohesion to the visual identity of Tafatolu.
Genuinely, I could not wait to see more of JonJon’s work after witnessing her masterful designs in Mā. The structural grandeur of her garments is truly astounding, given the shoestring budget(s) that she is probably grappling with.
Standout performance: Lijah Mavaega is one to watch. Multitalented and commanding, he grounded the entire performance. He steered the crucial musical elements of the show with a cheeky sort of calm that was invigorating to absorb. The vibemaster - for real.
Thoughtful lighting enhanced the storytelling immensely. I LOVED the way the show ended. The cast blew out the lights while the audience sat in tentative silence for the briefest moment before applause erupted. Stunned. This type of crowd engagement gets me blaaahdy excited.
Tafatolu is part of a broader wave of Moana stories being told by Moana people. The storytellers who brought this devised physical theatre show to local audiences, should be overwhelmingly proud of the way they role-modelled story sovereignty and collective joy. Those who watched on as they summoned ancestral wisdom onstage, should feel honoured beyond measure.