FRINGE '04: Punga Legs Presents Kohu

Media Release
12 January 2004

Wellington’s aerial dance theatre company Punga Legs presents its new production Kohu at Paramount Theatre, 3-10 August as part of the 2004 Wellington Fringe Festival.

Kohu means “mist” and is an aerial theatre work inspired by stories of patupaiarehe, a fair skinned albino-like people associated with mystical happenings throughout Mâori cultural history. The creators of Kohu aim to give new breath to this cultural folklore.

According to Mâori legend, patupaiarehe dwelt in high rising forested areas. Being sensitive to light, they could only travel when sheilded by darkness or mist.

Following substantial research, the Punga Legs company were moved to explore the possibility of patupaiarehe living in Wellington city.

Pieta Clear of Punga Legs company says Kohu follows the concept of a small clan of patupaiarehe discovered living in the dark corners of Paramount Theatre.

“Some may consider what we are doing to be controversial but for us, patupaiarehe represent a place for white skinned people in Maori myth.”

The story is told through the tools of physical theatre, including aerial tissues (a silky fabric rope), aerial web rope and dance.

Company members include Rhys Latton whose 2003 Fringe production Perfect Pool won the Best Theatre award and Alice Capper-Starr whose 2003 Fringe production The Paua Girls won the Best Costumes award. Suzie Cooper, formerly of Flush Collective, is now teamed up with Pieta Clear doing aerial performance for corporate events under the name Trapezius. Pipi (Ayesha) Evans also works with theatre company The Clinic from Dunedin. Further information and images are available at http://kohu2004.tripod.com/

ENDS

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