K’Rd Strip: A Place to Stand
Okareka Dance Company, Downstage, Wellington, until July 13
Raw, crude, joyful, outrageous, funny and sad are words that describe Auckland’s iconic Karangahape Rd perfectly.
They are also a perfect fit for Okareka Dance Company’s thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking show, which has “the strip” as its pulsating heart.
Director Simon Coleman’s tight production is a very collaborative effort. It was conceived and choreographed by Taane Mete and devised by the company with script development by Jamie Burgess. The stunning musical direction was by Jason Te Mete, with original composition by Eden Mulholland and Tui Matira Ranapiri-Ransfield.
The only thing onstage is a pole, but atmospheric lighting by Ambrose Hills-Simonson and minimalist but effective costumes by Elizabeth Whiting convey all we need to know of the strip clubs, bars, footpaths and clubs that make K’Rd a place of opportunity, hope and sometimes, despair.
Fundamentally cabaret in style, it begins with an evocation of the legend of Hape and how Karangahape Rd got its name.
The crippled Hape, left behind by his brothers, rode a taniwha to Aotearoa, arriving here before them. On their arrival, Hape called a karanga to them from the ridge above the harbour now known as Karangahape Rd. This theme of forgiveness and acceptance is the show’s backbone and gives it soul.
Taane Mete, Tai Royal, Jason Te Mete, Will Cooper Barling, Adam Burrell and Jamie Burgess all have their chance to shine, but Royal’s experience and mana are the linchpin. Time and again, after the mayhem he centres the action.
Likewise, Mete’s grave beauty and fluid movement keep it real. Cooper Barling’s lanky sex appeal, excellent dance ability and cheeky humour draw the eye.
Some arrangements are almost unrecognisable from their originals, but always apt. Split Enz’ Dirty Creature was particularly effective.
Amid the song, dance and monologues, a strange guy wearing a mask of a horse’s head staggers drunkenly and often aggressively through the mix.
Highlights include I Hope I Never (Mete), Computer Games (Company), Lost (Jason Te Mete), Jamie Burgess’ cafe monologue about his murdered lover and Royal’s fan dance like a benediction.
We all need a place to stand. Okareka Dance Company has surely found its – as one of New Zealand’s most exciting and risk-taking contemporary dance companies.
Ad Feedback
–
