What would you do to represent?
Media Release for Immediate Use: 13
September 2011 Proudly Part of the 2011 Real NZ
Festival Willy¹s a homestay
Asian student. Mook¹s Samoan and he¹s been here for ages.
They¹re best mates at Timaru Boys High. But when Willy
decides his dream is to try out for the All Blacks, mateship
‹ and everything else ‹ is up for grabs. A warm
feel-good comedy with serious undertones, The First Asian A*
B* examines the question Œwhat makes someone Kiwi?¹ Is it
rugby, racing and beer ¬ or being true to oneself and
one¹s friends? At breakneck pace, Ben Teh (The Bone
Feeder, Odd Socks) and Paul Fagamalo (Rent, Where We Once
Belonged) capture multiple characters ¬ a Samoan aiga, a
bored class of thirteen year olds, two entire rugby teams
playing each other, and one sassy girl called George. The
First Asian A* B* is a new play from acclaimed New Zealand
playwright Renee Liang (The Bone Feeder,
Lantern). ³Coming from an inherited immigrant background,
with a 'difference' which is sometimes more visible to
others than to myself, I often wonder ³What defines me as
Kiwi?² says Liang. ³Often the best way to answer such a
question is to play it out - and that's exactly what I've
done in this play. Rather than being a play Œabout¹ rugby,
it¹s a play that Œcontains¹ rugby.² A non player and
someone who confesses to ³never really getting the game²,
Liang has been something of a surprise conversion. As she
was writing the play, she put herself on a ³training
regime² which involved hanging out with rugby-mad friends,
going to games and even learning some basic tackling skills.
The result was a newfound respect for rugby.
³I¹ve
become fascinated by its place in our culture,² Liang says.
³Even for people who have no connection to the game, it has
a kind of magic ¬ something that we define ourselves by.
Why is that? What happens when that thought is taken too
far? To me, rugby is about knowing ourselves and our
teammates, how we support each other under pressure, and how
that is achieved by spending enough time together. It
parallels the way friendships work.² Embodying the two
friends, NZ-born Samoan Mook and Malaysian immigrant Willy,
are real-life friends Paul Fagamalo and Ben Teh. Both of
them cite their immigrant backgrounds as creative
inspirations (Fagamalo was born in NZ after his parents came
from Samoa in the early 1980s, Teh was 16 when he first
moved to Auckland to study from Singapore). Teh, now
studying film scriptwriting at the University of Auckland,
and Fagamalo, a full time actor, got to know each other
while working on projects with Stage Two, the University
drama club. ³There¹s so many amazing stories, what
happened to people after they came over,² Teh says.
Fagamalo agrees. ³There¹s good and bad. The best way to
deal with it often is by laughing.² Liang admits to
hiding personal anecdotes in the play - hers and her
friends¹. ³I feel it¹s time to tell the story of the
Œ1.5¹ generation - those who immigrated, but grew up
here.² She¹s excited to be mentored in her script writing
by veteran playwright, actor and director Oscar Kightley,
who wrote such groundbreaking plays as Niu Sila and Fresh
Off The Boat in the 1990s (about the immigrant Samoan
community). She cites these productions as influential in
her decision to become a playwright. ³Plays are really
powerful. They allow us to say things and examine issues
while still letting people enjoy their night
out.² Directed by Edward Peni (Samoa Mo Samoa, The West
Auckland Cardigan Appreciation Society) with live music by
Andrew Correa (People In Harmony, The Bone Feeder) First
Asian A* B* debuts as part of the Real NZ Festival to
celebrate the Rugby World Cup 2011. The
First Asian A* B* Written by Renee Liang / Directed by
Edward Peni BATS Theatre, Wellington, 6pm, 22 September
1st October 2011 Tickets www.bats.co.nz/ (04) 802 4175 BATS, 1
Kent Terrace, Wellington
What would you do to
represent?
www.firstasianAB.com http://www.nz2011.govt.nz/experiencerealnz/events/969-the-first-asian-ab