The fascinating women of the Pacific Islands hold Brisbane Powerhouse in thrall from 27 - 31 August as two vastly different, but equally captivating, shows – VULA and Wild Dogs Under My Skirt - take audiences on a sensual and savage journey through the Pacific as part of Pasifika Festival 2008.
Hot new solo show, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, snaps at the heels of audiences as it asks the question ‘What do Samoan women and wild dogs have in common?’ Created by Tusiata Avia, a New Zealand Samoan writer, performer and poet, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt explores the search for identity and unearthing the past.
This lyrical and confrontational show looks through Pacific eyes at being a woman, being between cultures, racism, love, sex, abuse and wild dogs – this is the stuff you won’t find in Blue Hawaii.
Tusiata Avia delivers her show with an honesty and simplicity that is as breathtaking as it is brutal. Be prepared to laugh, cry and have your prejudices shaken
To sooth after this savage heat, VULA (Fijian for ‘moon’), the first work from groundbreaking New Zealand theatre company The Conch, is performed on a stage flooded with water. Under the power of the moon VULA explores the sensual and spiritual relationship between Pacific island women and the sea – a space where the worlds of the natural, mythological and everyday co-exist.
Combining magic and illusion with traditional song and dance, performers move over, in and through the water, creating a captivating and visually stunning piece of theatre – a searingly beautiful and breathtaking work that speaks volumes about Pacific life.
Director Nina Nawalowalo says the production was born of an enduring memory from her own childhood, standing in the waves listening to fisherwomen sing in harmony as they waded out to the reef to fish.
“The sound of their voices mixed with the sound of the water. Here was a place where so many dimensions of these women were expressed – the female powers of strength, sensuality and spirit were simultaneously those of the water itself.”
Both must-see shows, Wild Dogs Under My Skirt and VULA will astound you with their beauty, honesty and brilliance.