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The cast of Siblings - Roka, Jordan, Dazz and Kiriana - smile at the camera. The word Siblings sits as a collage above them surrounded by yellow, pink and red blobs of colour.

‘Our stories, pūrākau’: Siblings showcases whānau relationships on stage

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By The D*List

After three and a half years of development, Siblings premieres in Tāmaki Makaurau this week.

  • ‘Our stories, pūrākau’: Siblings showcases whānau relationships on stage
    The D*List
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  • “I promise that it will make you cry. And if it doesn't, it will make you laugh,” says Kiriana Sheree, cast member and one of the devisers of the show Siblings, which premieres at Te Pou Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau this week.

  • The show, directed by Pelenakeke Brown and associate director Barnie Duncan, features four disabled performers and delves into themes of sibling relationships, disability, agency and care.

    “Siblings for me… that’s our stories, our pūrākau, about our relationships, our experiences with our siblings,” says cast member Dazz Whippey. 

    The show has been in development for three and a half years and was devised through talanoa, games and accessibility as creative prompts to inform the storytelling.

    “There's a lot of games, a lot of improv. And just a lot of fun. It's more intimate than you might think it would be as well,” says Sheree.

  • "We tell our stories in our own way. And it's through our experiences as well."

    Jordan Kareroa

  • Performer Roka Bunyan is looking forward to inviting her friends to the show. “One of my friends is coming to the show, I hope that they will feel comfortable,” she says. 

    Jordan Kareroa, another cast member, hopes audiences will feel inspired “listening to our stories through talanoa”. 

    “We tell our stories in our own way. And it's through our experiences as well,” he says. 

    Whippey says audiences might take home something meaningful from watching the show.

    “I want them to reflect on their own relationships with their siblings,” he says. “They can make their own story.”

    Siblings is showing at Te Pou Theatre July 24-28. Every show is a relaxed performance with audio description, and there are three NZSL interpreted shows. You can find out more and purchase tickets online here.

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