Red Leap Theatre Company Presents MOE MITI, 22 - 27 August At Loft, Q Theatre, Auckland

Red Leap Theatre, known for their award-winning visionary and visually captivating performances, are set to premiere a brand new devised work Moe Miti. Exploring Pasifika identity, this collision of ancient and contemporary stories opens at Q Theatre from 22 - 27 August.

In an ode to the power of storytelling, three generations of Pasifika women attempt to rewrite the future by contending with the past. In the shifting space between waking and sleep, ancient lineages take shape in the darkness.

Following on from the success of acclaimed production Dakota of the White Flats, Red Leap returns with a performance set to showcase their superb physicality, arresting imagery and boundary-pushing theatrical storytelling once again. Through choreography, indigenous instrumentation, evocative text, and cutting-edge technology, Moe Miti erupts onto the stage.

Pepe, a young woman born in New Zealand, confronts a severance from both her mother Valu and her language and culture. Her land and lineage are on the tip of her tongue, but Valu leaves her mute as she vies for centre stage. When their ancestor Aiga emerges in a dreamscape, and refuses to be ignored, ancient and contemporary identities converge in a collision of intergenerational reconciliation and transformation. Origin stories of cruelty and courage crawl into consciousness.

Through a uniquely Pasifika lens, this production explores universal themes of family, identity, migration and the quest for intergenerational connection. Moe Miti is a means to reclaim identity, honour heritage, and forge a path towards healing.

The ensemble cast of Moe Miti is comprised of an exceptionally talented group of performers from across genres, including Katerina Fatupaito (Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, Teine Sā), Ma'aola Faasavala (Duckrockers, Shortland Street), and newcomer Malama Tila making her professional debut.

Red Leap's Associate Artist Katrina George will lead this outstanding ensemble as Director in the creation of this devised work. Katrina made her theatrical debut with Red Leap in Kororāreka: The Ballad of Maggie Flynn, and has since gone on to perform in Owls Do Cry and worked as a lead tutor for the company. She's also starred in Te Kuuititanga and ATC's Under the Mountain.

"My initial inspiration to create Moe Miti was to investigate decolonising my arts practice, and to do this alongside my profoundly talented Pasifika friends and artists. The name Moe Miti was offered to me by my brother. It means dreams. Inside of my dreams of belonging to the land I come from, I've found some nightmarish stories, spirits and curses. Moe Miti has accompanied me on my own journey of healing, of wrestling with my afakasi identity, and of reconciling and celebrating my past to be able to move forward a little bit lighter. I hope it can do the same for those who come along," says George.

The production is brought together by a masterful team including AV and Spatial Designer Owen McCarthy, Lighting Designer Jane Hakaraia, Costume Designer Tori Manley-Tapu, Musical Composers Samara Alofa and Hannah Lynch, and Dramaturg Anna Marbrook.

For more information on Red Leap Theatre visit: redleaptheatre.co.nz

MOE MITI plays:

22 - 27 August
Loft, Q Theatre

Book at Q Theatre:

https://www.qtheatre.co.nz/shows/moe-miti

09 309 9771

305 Queen St, Auckland

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