A review of Ūkaipō by Ngāriki Ngatae
A review of Ūkaipō by Ngāriki Ngatae
Even after the lights had come up, after the performers had woven a final ritual of waiata into the audience and even after the full house at ONEONESIX (Whangārei) offered a resounding standing ovation to director and choreographer Gabrielle Thomas’ latest work in-development, Ūkaipō – a certain energy and sense of lingering anticipation hung in the air between us all in the room that night. Almost as if we had climbed into a portal and emerged again sometime later, changed somehow, but in a way we were unsure of.
This is the brilliance of Thomas’ deft hand as a choreographer and, more importantly, as a storyteller. In just five short weeks, this first development performance certainly was not undercooked. Far from it, in fact, Ūkaipō conveyed a maturity and a deep complexity in its exploration of motherhood, manākitanga, whakapapa and what it means to nurture, or be nurtured.
‘The literal translation of ūkaipō refers to being fed (kai) by the breast (ū) at night (pō). The word ūkaipō evokes layers of physical, spiritual and emotional connections within the important relationship between māmā and pēpi.’
Ūkaipō is a sensory feast of movement, taonga puoro, classic Māori waiata, and narrative, that blends the stories of its entirely local cast – Jess Collins, Jan Fisher, Jasmin Fisher-Johnson, Stormy Kay and Jenn Ruka – with more primordial and metaphorical stories of relationship to Papatūānuku. Delivering both power and a graceful subtlety, it is a piece that deserves some time to process its layers long after you’ve left the theatre. And although there were some esoteric moments throughout the show, if Ūkaipō is a journey of a mother’s power and the power of manifesting life, then it was refreshingly disarming to find myself in moments laughing at that power, and the many ways we, as māmā, choose to wield it.
The show’s premise is relationship, and the synchronicity and conversation of movement between the performers was a joy to witness. In a twist of creative alchemy it was revealed by Thomas during the show’s opening ritual that the eldest performer of the show, Jan Fisher, is the mother of the youngest performer, Jasmin Fisher-Johnson. As the show unfolded, there was an effortless intimacy to their performances both together and individually, and I felt at times that I was witnessing the energy-in-between, the wairua of their connection, as it expressed itself. Indeed, Jan Fisher’s presence onstage was a breath of fresh air – in a society that privileges youth, Fisher’s embodiment of the wisdom and beauty that can only come from time and a life lived was strong, fluid and humorous.
Beneath the storytelling, the strength of this work lies in its sense of community and identity of place that can only emerge from a creative development process that is collaborative in nature, as it is with Ūkaipō. The mauri of the place from which it grew – Te Taitokerau – is woven into this story, bringing with it a vibrancy and richness and leaving you with a sense that the creative energy of this show could only have come from this place.
Ūkaipō was supported by the Puanga-Matariki Festival, Whangārei District Council and ONEONESIX.