Exploration has always been an important aspect of the arts and recently I’ve seen some awesome theatre in Auckland that has artists mixing different styles together. It’s inspiring because I know how brave these artists are to explore new mixes and ways of telling stories.

“Hoki Mai Tama Ma” – written by Tainui Tukiwaho mixes Maori theatre, kapa haka and classic Italian comedy Commedia dell arte. So cool to see the use of mask in New Zealand theatre.

“Skin” – a blend of spoken word poetry with Drama, written by the young poets and directed by Grace Taylor. Spoken word and Drama go well together and this is the first time I’ve seen spoken word presented theatrically. It reminded me of the work of Inua Ellams.

“Putorino Hill” – written by Chris Molloy and featuring Rob Mokaraka. Love the way Chris blends Maori legend/spirituality with contemporary stories. Always love to watch Rob Mokaraka perform, he’s an incredible actor!

It’s a really exciting time on the Arts right now and so awesome to think about ways of exploring storytelling by using new and different mediums.