Black Ties

Two smitten lovers, one Aboriginal, the other Maori, try hard to unite their families, their cultures, behind their engagement.  

Back home in the Maori community or atop a towering Melbourne housing estate, Kane and Hera’s efforts to assimilate produces some hilarious disasters in cultural protocol.  But somehow the wedding is booked – despite possessive Mums running indigenous guilt trips, fierce racisms across the ditch, errant males and some toxic family baggage.

And we’re all invited, as the Sydney Town Hall is transformed for the second half from theatre format to a colourful wedding feast.

This big cast co-production between Melbourne’s Ilbijerri Theatre Company and Auckland’s Te Rehia Theatre, directed by their respective artistic directors Rachael Maza and Tainui Tukiwaho, is well-resourced and artfully presented. 

Collages of background images enliven a huge back screen, mobile chats are nicely projected, live musical segments are weaved into the story, as are videos at the wedding. We see family conflicts flaring up live backstage and posts from mad relatives who thankfully can’t be there.

The humour is engaging, often wickedly non-PC, drawing on the banter of the family, such a familiar focus of indigenous theatre. John Harvey and Tainui Tukiwaho’s script is witty and occasionally perceptive on this indigenous cultural clash, but the show is long-winded, in need of editing and pace, and not ready for a festival premiere.

The program doesn’t identify roles but it’s an excellent comic cast, with designer Te Ura Hoskins also playing good comedy with the costumes.  A credit to all for almost holding our interest for more than three hours.

Martin Portus

Photogapher: Yaya Stempler