SCRIPTS & SIPS | Kōanga Play-readings Brunch
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This Kōanga, we’re presenting special morning readings of these new works. Your tīkiti to SCRIPTS & SIPS | Kōanga Play-readings Brunch will also include a delicious baked treat with a ‘sip’ on arrival, keeping your puku full while the mind is ignited by new stories.
Join us to celebrate the work of Maioha Allen and his script ‘Te Kuia me te Tuatara – Te Mauri o Te Whenua’ as well as Reon Te Aorangi Max Rose, Huia Max Rose & Parekawa Finlay and their script ‘T-HEI’. Developed as a part of the Kōanga Playwright Programme 2026.
‘Te Kuia me te Tuatara – Te Mauri o Te Whenua’
By Maioha Allen
Te reo Māori script
Tīmata ana ngā tohu te whakatinana i tana māra, he ota parahea, he manu ngū, he moemoeā wai-kore anō hoki – Ka whai a Ruhi Rū i tētehi hamumu e ahu mai ana i te wao kū. I konā, tūtaki atu ai ki a Kūrehe te Tuatara, kaitiaki tūāki o te whenua, kua ara mai i tana moe rautau.
E warewaretia ana ngā pūrākau e Te Ngahere. E mimiti ana te mauri e pupuri nei i te rongomaiwhiti o te whenua. E ora anō ai te mauri, me ngana a Ruhi Rū ki te maumahara ki tētehi takutaku kua roa e kore whakamahia ana, kua hunaia i te taiao, te hau, te wai me ngā whetū.
When strange signs begin appearing in her garden – wilting plants, silent birds, and dreams of water running dry – Ruhi Rū follows a whispering wind deep into the bush. There, she meets Kūrehe te Tuatara, the ancient kaitiaki of the land, who has awoken from centuries of slumber.
The forest is forgetting its stories. The Heartstone that holds balance between people and nature is cracking. To restore it, Nan Hine must remember a long-lost karakia (chant), hidden in three natural places – the wind, the water, and the stars.
Together, Ruhi and Kūrehe journey through enchanted parts of Aotearoa’s world, unlocking riddles and calling on the voices of tamariki (the audience) to help. Along the way, they explore kaitiakitanga, whakapapa, and the idea that every voice, no matter how small or old, has the power to protect the future.
‘T-HEI’
By Reon Te Aorangi Max Rose, Huia Max Rose & Parekawa Finlay
Bilingual script – Te Reo Māori and English
After a tough conversation with the school principal, Tiamana must spend her final year figuring out what her passions are. Ignoring the signs of her whare tapa whā beginning to crack, she pulls together the first ever M-Pop kapa. Can she lead the team to victory and restore her whare? or does winning even matter in the end?
Join us to celebrate the work of Maioha Allen and his script ‘Te Kuia me te Tuatara – Te Mauri o Te Whenua’ as well as Reon Te Aorangi Max Rose, Huia Max Rose & Parekawa Finlay and their script ‘T-HEI’. Developed as a part of the Kōanga Playwright Programme 2026.
‘Te Kuia me te Tuatara – Te Mauri o Te Whenua’
By Maioha Allen
Te reo Māori script
Tīmata ana ngā tohu te whakatinana i tana māra, he ota parahea, he manu ngū, he moemoeā wai-kore anō hoki – Ka whai a Ruhi Rū i tētehi hamumu e ahu mai ana i te wao kū. I konā, tūtaki atu ai ki a Kūrehe te Tuatara, kaitiaki tūāki o te whenua, kua ara mai i tana moe rautau.
E warewaretia ana ngā pūrākau e Te Ngahere. E mimiti ana te mauri e pupuri nei i te rongomaiwhiti o te whenua. E ora anō ai te mauri, me ngana a Ruhi Rū ki te maumahara ki tētehi takutaku kua roa e kore whakamahia ana, kua hunaia i te taiao, te hau, te wai me ngā whetū.
When strange signs begin appearing in her garden – wilting plants, silent birds, and dreams of water running dry – Ruhi Rū follows a whispering wind deep into the bush. There, she meets Kūrehe te Tuatara, the ancient kaitiaki of the land, who has awoken from centuries of slumber.
The forest is forgetting its stories. The Heartstone that holds balance between people and nature is cracking. To restore it, Nan Hine must remember a long-lost karakia (chant), hidden in three natural places – the wind, the water, and the stars.
Together, Ruhi and Kūrehe journey through enchanted parts of Aotearoa’s world, unlocking riddles and calling on the voices of tamariki (the audience) to help. Along the way, they explore kaitiakitanga, whakapapa, and the idea that every voice, no matter how small or old, has the power to protect the future.
‘T-HEI’
By Reon Te Aorangi Max Rose, Huia Max Rose & Parekawa Finlay
Bilingual script – Te Reo Māori and English
After a tough conversation with the school principal, Tiamana must spend her final year figuring out what her passions are. Ignoring the signs of her whare tapa whā beginning to crack, she pulls together the first ever M-Pop kapa. Can she lead the team to victory and restore her whare? or does winning even matter in the end?
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Where is it happening?
Te Pou Theatre, Corban Estate Arts centre, 2 Mt Lebanon Lane, Henderson, 0610, 2 Mt Lebanon Ln, Henderson, Auckland 0610, New Zealand, Auckland
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherKōanga Festival
