‘Sons of Sky, Earth’

Press, 26 September 1984, Page 8

‘Sons of Sky, Earth’

“Sons of Sky and Earth,” presented by Troupers, State Trinity Theatre, 8.30 p.m., September 21 to 28. Running time: 90 minutes. Reviewed by Stephen Quinn. This is the story of Maui, the rascal hero of Maori myth who reeled in the giant fish that become the South Island, told in an offbeat and updated way that is both charming and adventurous.

The charm is in the presentation. Eight young performers, using very simple Sand a basic set, have on a difficult task and done it well. They have attempted to encapsulate the broad span of Maori mythology, based round the adventures of the magical figure of Maui. The methods they use include a wide variety of theatrical methods: dance,

mime, masks, music, and movement. It is this approach that is adventurous and while at times it succeeds because of its physical presence and enthusiasm, on many other occasions if flounders because it simply demands too much of a young cast. The play begins as a potted history of the world before the arrival of Maui. It is executed theatrically

through a series of brief scenes linked by a running narrative supplied by all members of the cast.

Some of the performers have good voices, sufficiently commanding to carry the intensity of the drama. This is important, because the players have few other props — just four black boxes that serve several purposes. But when the voices fail, as they some-

times did last evening, the whole performance changed gear to show a group of people clad in leotards muttering banal phrases. The adventures of Maui in the latter half of the play considerably enhance the level of interest The demonstration of Maui’s awakening sexual urges is particularly well done. These needs are shown in a physical way, such as a need to satisfy a hunger craving. Indeed, the physical presence of several of the cast is one of the play’s strengths. This physicality serves to compensate for the play’s lack of subtlety. The simple dialogue and gutsy script are to be commended, hnd the over-all enthusiasm and power of production mostly make up for the other short-comings.