Auckland Theatre Company presents Sons by Victor Rodger

Entertaining And Emotionally Gripping Play Exposes Family Truths on Stage in Mangere in October

Starring Beulah Koale, Rima Te Wiata and Alison Bruce
Directed by David Fane

Rising young television and film actor Beulah Koale stars in Auckland Theatre Company's production of award-winning playwright Victor Rodger's entertaining and emotionally gripping play Sons.

Sons opens at Mangere Arts Centre from Friday 16 October for a strictly limited season.

Beulah Koale has recently come to attention for his role in the New Zealand film The Last Saint and has also featured on Shortland Street and in the 2013 filmFantail. In Sons he stars as afakasi (half-caste) television presenter Noah. The play also features well-known actors Rima Te Wiata and Alison Bruce.

Directed by David Fane, Sons is an entertaining, but emotionally gripping story about family, truth and acceptance. The story follows Noah - a successful young television music host - who visits his dying father after a 10-year silence and embarks on a journey into his unexplored Samoan heritage with explosive consequences.

First workshopped and staged 20 years ago, Sons was Rodger's first play and is semi-autobiographical. Since then he has written numerous plays and his work is known for dealing with race, racism and identity. Most recently his play Black Faggot, featuring Koale, was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Rodger said he was looking forward to the new production of Sons.

"When it was first staged we really had to scrape around to find Samoan actors to cast, and now we're spoilt for choice."

He's excited about remounting the play in 2014. "I did re-read the script and looked at what needed updating, but emotionally things are still true today.

"This play was my first introduction to actors," he adds. "And now in this new production its exciting that it still has connections to people who were first involved - Dave Fane was part of the first workshop, Alison Bruce was there to see it in it's first outing and Rima is playing the role her mother Beryl played."

The cast for Sons also includes Joanna Mika-Toloa, Lauren Gibson and Bronwyn Bradley.

Sons is at Mangere Arts Centre from 16-25 October. For details visitwww.atc.co.nz

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CAST
Noah - Beulah Koale
Lua - Troy Tu'ua
Nan - Rima Te Wiata
Manu'a - Max Palamo
Sas - Joanna Mika-Toloa
Grace - Alison Bruce
Alex - Lauren Gibson
Sandra - Bronwyn Bradley

CREATIVE
Playwright - Victor Rodger
Direction - David Fane
Set Design - John Parker
Costume Design - Charlie Baptist
Lighting Design - Rachel Marlow
Sound Design - Isaac Nonu

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