Synopsis
Kikia Te Poa
Published by The Play Press
4 Male
Although Maori were not allowed to fight in the Boer War, many mixed blood men did, and one of them was John Walter Callaway, who wrote a haka for the Kiwi troops - Kikia Te Poa
Kikia Te Poa is a funny, physical, and moving look at the relationship between New Zealand and South Africa, Maori and Pakeha, the colonial past and its legacy
With strong physicality, fierce writing and deft humour, Saville's play explores the nature of war, masculinity, and the enduring appeal of thirty men and an odd-shaped ball
The Boer War saw the birth of concentration camps, New Zealand's status as a warrior nation - and also international rugby
Most importantly it saw the beginning of a rivalry between two countries that would last one hundred years - on the rugby field, and in the politics of two very different nations
Contains an insightful introduction from Greg McGee, writer of the classic play Foreskin's Lament