Sons of Vao is not only uplifting but also looks at the lasting impacts loved ones continue to have, even in death.
As I was leaving the ASB Waterfront Theatre on the weekend, after watching Sons Of Vao, the powerful new play from acclaimed playwright Vela Manusaute, a lady turned to me and said, “I was here last week and watched ‘RBG, Of Many, One’, this was so much better!”
While I haven’t seen RBG (admittedly I don’t plan to), I imagine it is an amazing story about former US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose time on the bench was spent advocating for justice.
Here you have Sons of Vao, on the other side of the world, fighting for its own kind of justice, but in a deeply personal and private battle.
This powerful account is drawn from Vela’s own story and introduces us to the small island nation of Niue – known for its limestone cliffs, crystal clear seas, and deep coral reefs – and to the family’s migration to New Zealand (often referred to as the Land of the Long White Cloud) in the 1970s.
Sons of Vao hit home for me! On the drive home, I talked my husband’s ear off. Finally, this is a story I get. It is relatable. I understood it and dare I say it, could be seen as therapeutic. I would recommend people go watch and experience it.
I warn you now, it may trigger some. It is not just a story of families migrating from beautiful idyllic island nations coming to countries like Aotearoa New Zealand, in search of the “land of milk of honey”, and everything good and bad that comes with that.
It touches on issues that impact people from all walks of life, dealing with a domineering parent (in this case father), issues of alcohol abuse, domestic violence, identity, relationships, abandonment, survival and the impact of the choices families make and their lasting effect on generations past, present and future.
This personal account from Vela (it took him five years to write and bring to the stage) spans four decades and is told by three brothers; To (Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson), Seki (Epine Bob Savea), and Sau (Brett Taefu). They are all brilliantly portrayed while actor Beulah Koale commands the stage with his portrayal of the complicated and at times charming father, Vao.
During the hour and a half long show you are taken on a wave of emotions from anger, laughter, compassion, denial, sadness and optimism, all crafted by these four actors with personal and focussed staging, moody lighting, and a powerful soundscape.
Vela and co-director, award winning actress, Anapela Polata’ivao direct the different chapters of the brothers’ lives over the decades with stunning imagery and strong sound effects that help shape the story.
Strong cultural references took me back to my own childhood, when they talked about shows like ‘The Waltons’, soap operas like ‘Days of Our Lives’ and the beautiful ‘Marlena’, and what island household didn’t know Bruce Lee and his Kung Fu moves. The unforgettable lines and sound effects we all grew up memorising.
I never fully realised just how much of an influence those shows and themes had on us. The depiction of life on the screen versus the reality of our lives.
I imagined the three brothers taking their first plane ride coming to New Zealand to join their father, and the “pretty palagi lady” hostess. Their description of coming to a home that had walls, and doors. And then there was the inside toilet, and Sunlight soap! Oh and the milk delivery days of money and tokens, the amount of hidings when the milk didn’t come because someone forgot to put the money in the bottle :-).
And while the play is confronting, there are glimpses of the brothers making the best of their situation and, as is often the case, using humour to get through those difficult times.
The characterisation of Vao is incredibly complex and nuanced, he does some truly terrible things, but he is also relatable and perhaps represents someone we all might have known at some stage. He is the way he is and you can see he truly cares about his sons, trying to shape and prepare them for the world, the way he sees it. The overarching message is that only love, and forgiveness, can break the chain.
Sons of Vao is not only uplifting but also looks at the lasting impacts loved ones continue to have, even in death.
There is only a week to go, see it if you can. I am going to have to agree with the lady I met after watching Sons of Vao, this one is so much better!
Sons of Vao is playing at the ASB Waterfront Theatre until July 5th.
