REVIEW: Back to Te Maunga
- Natasha Dyson
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Two men reunite to honour their best friend, opening the wounds of years of grief and finally answering to their part in the tragedy.
Antipodes Theatre Company’s Back to Te Maunga at La Mama Courthouse is a heartfelt two hander, set in a cabin shadowed by a tapu maunga (sacred mountain) in Aotearoa. Featuring tender moments of song, the play celebrates Māori custom and explores the expectations and idealisations of Māori men.
Tāne and Isaac’s heart rending history is laid bare over the 80 minute act, masterfully sculpted through Joel Te Teira’s script so that every conversation and contention brings us closer to why we’re in the cabin. Seamlessly integrating Te reo Māori and English, the audience is provided the privilege of connecting the dots in an accessible but never watered-down insight into Māori culture. It was such a joy to witness a production where as an audience we were treated with the dignity of not needing all the answers. I can only imagine the added potency and sentimentality of the Māori specific references, and I encourage anyone with a connection to Aotearoa or Māori culture to look into this play.
Joe Dekkers-Reihana made a captivating Tāne, outspoken and self-righteous in his self-appointed role of upholding his community and heritage. Inebriated from the outset, his candour with Isaac carried the unfolding fallout of truth between the men. Despite his abrasiveness, Tāne’s moments of incredible sensitivity revealed his desperation to protect his family, Isaac amongst them. My highlight of the play was an unspoken sequence of Tāne’s, catatonic at the prospect of losing his friend, frantically searching for a problem he can fix in the space so he needn’t confront his own.
The more reserved Isaac, thoughtfully brought to life by Jordan Selwyn, made for beautiful contrast in this piece. Struggling with needing to justify his connection to Māori culture after choosing to move internationally, Isaac’s honesty was more calculated. His desire to reject tall poppy syndrome was a perspective I know Australian and New Zealand audiences will cling especially close to. I loved the progression of his openness, and his nuanced hesitancy to step into his past.
It became clear through this piece that both of these men would move mountains to preserve the love and legacy of their friendship, and I was deeply moved by their commitment to learn from each other without needing to completely understand. Back to Te Maunga creates space for a discussion on complex male friendship in Māori culture, but also platonic domestic intimacy between men in general. It’s vital and considerate, endearing and grounded, and the audience leaves having learned something about how to show up for your friends.
There were a couple of moments in the piece where classical acting training briefly outshone presence in emotion, but they were few and far between. I thought towards the start of the show the pacing was a bit strange, and that perhaps the show could’ve been slightly shorter without the need to circle back on specific arguments. That said, what is adult friendship if not having the same conversation until you find an answer that feels complete?
Technically charming, Tāne’s cabin is brought to life with a considerable number of prop elements, adding to the authenticity created by set and costume designer Zoë Rouse. Keegan Bragg’s direction was wonderful in its realism, including imperfectly chopping vegetables, taking shots, and effective stage combat coordinated by Lyndall Grant. The transcendent soundscape at the outset of the show brought us to the wilderness, and Ethan Hunter’s sound design throughout kept the remote setting ever present in the stakes of the piece. I loved Harrie Hogan’s lighting design swells, and I have to shout out the clever car headlights effect at the top of the show. An excellent team of artists in concert.
No stone is left unturned in the unearthing of this intricate play, script lovingly curated and developed to present an engaging exploration of grief, love and belonging. Embedded with beautiful references, its homage to Māori tradition through a contemporary lens is one I hope continues to be produced for as many audiences as possible.
I hope wherever Tāne and Isaac go from here, they spot a kiwi on the way.
For tickets to Back to Te Maunga click here, on now until 22nd March at La Mama Courthouse
