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Tuakoi Ohia Performer & Writer
Te Whānau o KŌPŪ
Brady Peeti Performer Te Ohorere Williams Performer
Jane Leonard Performer Te Huamanuka Luiten-Apirana Performer Te Arohanui Korewha Performer
Amber Curreen
Director & Producer
Te Ura Hoskins
Costume Designer
Bekky Boyce
Technical Operator & AV Designer
John Gibson Musical Consultant
Jane Hakaraia
Lighting Designer
Paige Pomana
Production Manager, Sound Designer & Audio Engineer
John Verryt Set Designer
Tim Bain Court Theatre Stage Manager
Nicole Marsh Costume and Set Design Assistant
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ted Eason (Videograhy), Sandra Roberts of Skip Ink (Publicity), Annabelle McClure of My Glam Booth, & Roger of KBB Music. Proudly printed by Caxton.
Running Time: 75 minutes with no interval
KŌPŪ staged at The Court Theatre 16 - 26 July 2025
KŌPŪ premiered at Te Pou Theatre in May 2023
WHAKATŪPATO | CONTENT ADVISORY
This show contains adult themes, coarse language, racial slurs & content that may be offensive to some.
She is Kōpū i te ao, Parearau i te pō and if her teke could talk it would sound like this.
KŌPŪ calls you in to a cheeky ballad of a show, sharing the songs of our young wāhine Māori as they navigate this world, following in the footsteps of our naughty nannies from the kāuta.
Our kāhui whetū of multi-talented performers weave live music, performance, poetry, and poi, to share a hilarious, honest, and no-holds-barred account of their experiences of wāhinetanga now; the day and night duality of being fiercely everything at once. So, kindly unpeg yourself from the patriarchy, check your white feminism at the door and join us in a hearty musical celebration of the ira wahine in us all.
Is that my nipple hair between your teeth? You’re welcome.
Nau mai, haere mai
Welcome to KŌPŪ at
The Court Theatre.
When we bring in a guest production, it is because there is something special about that production. It has a distinct kaupapa or voice; it is deeply tied to its original creators but is something we want our audiences to see. This is undeniably true of KŌPŪ. Written by Tuakoi Ohia, directed by Amber Curreen, and brought to life onstage by some of the strongest wahine Māori performers in Aotearoa, KŌPŪ is a fierce expression of contemporary wāhinetanga. KŌPŪ is fierce, dynamic, and hilariously honest. It weaves together music, comedy, and toi Māori into something polished and unique. It has the energy of cabaret or vaudeville but with a voice and style that belongs completely to its creators and performers.
Irreverent, smart, and clever comedy is always fun, but brilliant comedy has its feet in something stronger. KŌPŪ draws strongly on the heritage of the creators’ “naughty nannies” and beyond, yet draws with equal strength on the here and now. It embraces the contradictions and complications of Māori womanhood with fierce and funny power—and some phenomenal vocal skill.
The calibre of the artists behind this
show is undeniable and has been recognised by a slew of awards at the Wellington Theatre Awards, Auckland Theatre Awards, and from Creative New Zealand. We do not think Ōtautahi should miss out!
We are grateful to our season sponsor, Ryman Healthcare, to the show sponsor of KŌPŪ, Ara Institute of Canterbury, to our core funder, Creative New Zealand, and to all the funders and supporters, who make it possible for us to bring innovative and energising work such as KŌPŪ to you. As always, we are endlessly grateful to our audiences. It is our joy and honour to welcome you into our theatre.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou.
Alison Walls
The Court Theatre Artistic Director
Tā te ringatohu | Director’s Note
The desire to create KŌPŪ came from looking around at our incredibly talented wāhine artists and wanting a work for them all to shine. Tuakoi Ohia had been working with us as a performer for a year and we were keen for her to sink her teeth into some writing. At the same time, there was a lot of loud clamoring in the media and social media around Waitangi 2021 and Judith Collins’ complaints about not being able to speak on the marae. Others piled on about gender inequality and there was an outcry about how “far behind” Māori are in terms of women’s equality.
This in itself, is sadly not unexpected, however, it is frustrating to still see this lack of understanding of tikanga Māori and a blanket view from European perspectives applied to our tikanga. What was most frustrating was that the voice of wāhine Māori on the matter was being drowned out by Pākehā. Marama Davidson put forward her clear, articulate
commentary, explaining how Collins was clearly ill-informed about tikanga Māori and women’s places of power within Te Ao Māori beyond the front row of the paepae. This comment should have been a full stop, ira kati, a moment where the attention changed to the wahine Māori voice on the subject. Instead, it barely made a dent in the rhetoric. Observing this play out Tainui and I were dismayed - in this discussion about wāhine in te ao Māori, whose voice was the loudest? It wasn’t wāhine Māori.
And so we brought seven wāhine together to conceive of and create this show, the six wāhine you will see on stage and Annette Tahitahi Fifield who has gone on to be a contributing writer with her beautiful poetry closing the show. KŌPŪ is a celebration of the ira wahine and makes a clear statement about telling our own narratives regardless of how contrary, idiosyncratic or peculiar they may be to the dominant narrative. Directing this work has been a joy filled experience, supporting these wahine to bring their experiences and stories to the stage with the expertise and dedication of a stellar design and production team.
Nōku te whiwhi. Nā Amber Curreen Ringatohu | Director
OLIVIA DEAN
Te Huamanuka Luiten-Apirana
Performer Ngāti Hīkairo, Waikato, Tūhoe
Since graduating from film school and drama school, Te Huamanuka LuitenApirana (Tainui, Tūhoe) has worked as a performer, playwright, storyliner, singer, stage manager and producer in the arts industry. She is an award-winning playwright and was the recipient of Creative New Zealand’s Emerging Artist Award in 2021.
Te Huamanuka is an advocate for Māori storytelling and constantly looks for ways to develop her skills and deepen her connection to other creatives. She enjoys the privilege to upskill alongside established industry leaders while also enjoying helping upskill emerging artists. You can also find her music on Spotify under ‘Manuka’.
Te Arohanui Korewha
Performer Te Rarawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi
Kapa Haka has been the foundation to all of my performances as an actor so it’s only fitting to mihi to Ngā Puna o Waiōrea, Te Kapa Haka o Hokianga, Te Iti Kahurangi, Angitu. Nei tēnei mokopuna na Waimirirangi e tūpou ana ki a koutou. Tēnei punua āku, Kiato Te Aurere kura o Taotao-rangi, being your māmā has been the deepest experience I now have access to when I’m performing. I only hope to inspire you to get together with your mates and ‘throw sh*t at a wall’ to make something beautiful and funny and deep as I have with mine. KŌPŪ. Not just a show, but a space that creates life.
Te Arohanui Korewha’s acting bug kicked in in 2018. She’s since graduated from The Actors Program, performed in multiple theatre shows, Ahikāroa S5 and S6, and continues to ‘throw sh*t at a wall’ lol.
T H E V I C T O R I A
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Brady Peeti
Performer
Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi
Brady Peeti is a pioneering, awardwinning actor. No Ngāti Maniapoto me Te Ati Haunui-a-Pāpārangi. Her theatre credits include performances in Little Shop of Horrors, Black Ties, Astroman, The Wizard of Ōtāhuhu, and RENT. Notably, she wowed Australian audiences as Lucy Harris in The Hayes Theatre Company’s production of Jekyll & Hyde, and has brought brown joy to Wahine Māori in the hit theatre show, KŌPŪ. Beyond the stage, Brady has left her mark on film and television with appearances in Greenstone’s Happiness, the Māori bilingual television series Ahikāroa, the recently released feature film Kōkā, and most notably host of the emotional and necessary conversations of TransGenerations. An award-winning lyricist, she recently wrote music and lyrics for the short film Chatterbox by Tuakoi Ohia that won People’s Choice Award at both NZIFF and RIFFNZ festivals. She has also established herself as a writer and producer, delivering her first one-woman rock show titled What Happened to Mary-Anne?.
Passionate about advancing trans representation, Brady hopes her success will pave the way for more transgender actors in diverse roles, shedding light on both Transgender and Māori communities.
Jane Leonard
Performer
Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi - Te Whiu, Ngāi Tawake
Jane Leonard (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Hine) is a multidisciplinary creative, educator and NASDA graduate who is proud to return to The Court Theatre and tread the boards of the brand-new stage. Her previous Court Theatre credits include Amadeus, Mary Poppins, Vivienne in Legally Blonde the Musical, alternate Velma in Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Lorraine in Jersey Boys, Crystal in Little Shop of Horrors and Maureen in RENT. Her other theatre credits include Kate Sheppard in That Bloody Woman, Songs for New World (Bold Theatre), Scaramouche in We Will Rock You, Elphaba in Wicked, Diva in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Mistress in Evita and Meg Giry in Phantom of The Opera (Showbiz Christchurch). She has performed in national tours of South Pacific, H.M.S Pinafore and Madagascar and recently Matāio with NZ Opera. Commercially, Jane has worked as a singer for events such as the Westpac Business Awards and Super Rugby. Returning to The Court Theatre with KŌPŪ is a full-circle moment for Jane—an opportunity to reconnect with the community that helped shape her while sharing a story that embodies her whakapapa, wairua, and personal journey.
Jane is a proud member of Equity New Zealand.
Te Ohorere Williams
Performer
Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu
Te Ohorere is a proud descendant of Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu and is a current master’s student studying classical performance at the University of Auckland with Dr. Te Oti Rakena. Recently, she has performed as a soloist with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Choir, and in 2020 was featured in an online miniseries with Chamber Music New Zealand.
Te Ohorere attended the 2020 and 2021 NZ Opera Schools and is a member of the New Zealand Opera Freemasons Chorus. This year she was selected to be the National Anthem singer for the ANZAC dawn commemorations held at the Auckland War Museum. She has trained in ballet for over twelve years and has loved to perform since she was five years old. Te Ohorere is working to pursue a career in performance internationally.
Tuakoi Ohia
Performer & Writer
Ngāti Hine, Mātaatua, Tainui, Te Arawa, Te Āti Awa, Ngāi Pākehā
Tuakoi Ohia is an actor, writer for stage and screen, theatre maker and music artist. Her debut in acting started in 2018 when she was cast in the drama TV series Ahikaaroa. Not long after, she landed the role of Hera in the ‘one of a kind’ indigenous theatre show BLACK TIES touring across Australia and Aotearoa.
She is the writer of the play KŌPŪ, a collaborative theatre piece celebrating ira wāhine through comedy, music, kapa haka and smack talking. She voiced Pepa in Disney’s Encanto Reo Māori and Fiona in Dreamworks’ Shrek Reo Māori. She has also written a comedic musical short film Chatterbox alongside her friends Brady Peeti and Tainui Tukiwaho. This film is about a young wahine and her talking teke. This film is a nod to our naughty nannies and a reminder for us to listen to our bodies. She is passionate about projects that require joy, humour and positive representation of Māori on our platforms.
Amber Curreen Bekky Boyce
Director & Producer
Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Roroā
Creative Bios x2 Amber Curreen (Ngāpuhi, Te Roroa & Te Rarawa) is a Kaupapa Māori centered theatre maker based in Tāmaki Makaurau. A co-leader of Te Pou Theatre and Te Rēhia Theatre Company and festival director of Kōanga Festival, Amber has been developing and presenting professional theatre since 2010.
Amber began her career as a performer, well known for her work on Shortland Street as a teen as well as other New Zealand screen (Kōrero Mai, Billy) and film work (Waru). Amber has been producing and programming live performing arts for most of her career as well as creating new stories for the stage.
As a writer she delivered Mahuika (Auckland Theatre Company & Te Pou Theatre, 2019) a te reo Māori work for tamariki and co-wrote Te Tangi a Te Tūī, a te reo Māori cirque play first presented in 2022 in partnership with The Dust Palace. Along with works for tamariki, Amber has directed KŌPŪ in 2023 which has gone on to tour Aotearoa, and The Handlers in 2024. Amber is all about supporting Māori stories and storytellers.
Technical Operator & AV Designer
Bekky is a non-binary full-time freelancer as a production designer and operator based in Tāmaki Makaurau. They have been professionally involved in the theatre and dance industry since 2019 when they graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication.
They recently toured internationally with Mana Wahine (Ōkāreka Dance Company) and nationally with Ka Mua Ka Muri (Atamira Dance Company). They are a regular operator for Te Pou Theatre and have also operated Double Goer (Foster Group), KŌPŪ (Te Rēhia Theatre Company), He Hui Kaimanawa (Bianca Hyslop and Rowan Pierce) and A Boy Called Piano (The Conch). They have been involved with Magnificent Weirdos for the production of Tea with Terrorists as the operator and tour manager. They were nominated for best lighting design for the Wellington Theatre Awards in 2022 for Sublime Interludes and have been the Technical Manager for Tahi Festival since 2021. Whilst building a profile as a lighting and projection designer, they have a strong interest in set design and construction. They enjoy problem-solving the mysteries of the tech world to create and support stories being told on stage and on screen.
Paige Pomana
Production Manager, Sound Designer & Audio Engineer
Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Rongomaiwahine
Paige Pomana (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Rongomaiwahine) is a musician, audio engineer, and sound designer originally from Te Tairāwhiti.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Recording Arts from SAE in 2021 has seen Paige dabble in the realms of film, television and theatre - working on Ru Paul’s Drag Race and Celebrity Treasure Island as well as Silo Theatre’s Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner, The First Prime-Time Asian Sitcom, and Tuakoi Ohia’s KŌPŪ
The Court Theatre acknowledges the creative team who were part of the development of this work but did not tour with the production.
Jane Hakaraia
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THE COURT COMPANY
The Court Theatre Company is made up of full and part-time, casual and contracted staff, and volunteers.
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