Every year, Te Tauihu becomes a temporary home to migrant workers from across Moana Oceania. Seasonal workers are part of our everyday landscapes but remain mostly hidden or unrecognised. Ōtautahi Christchurch-based artist John Vea (Tonga, Aotearoa New Zealand) explores the complexities facing migrant workers adapt to the hegemonic laws of working in Aotearoa whilst building a sense of belonging after leaving home.
Vea uses his characteristic sense of humour to point to the bureaucratic challenges and barriers migrant must navigate to make a living in Aotearoa – often with a tight timeline, and with the harsh realities of hard labour and acclimatising to a drastically different environment while maintaining a sense of self and caring for those left behind at home.
Image Credit – ABC News
Story, science and a synth combine in an exhilarating performance that examines what happens in our bodies when we’re bereft. From acclaimed New Zealand company EBKM (Yes Yes Yes), Heartbreak Hotel tracks a woman’s broken heart in a wrenching and relatable journey that’s studded with classic break-up songs and razor-sharp observations on the physiology of love.
Heartbreak Hotel comes to Whakatū fresh from smash-hit shows at RISING Festival in Melbourne, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Soho Theatre, London. Enjoy a hilarious, honest take on a universal human experience, and leave feeling all the better for it.
Winner of Best Play at TimeOut Australia Arts and Culture Awards 2025
Winner Actor of the Year (Karin McCracken) at the Wellington Theatre Awards 2024
Winner Sound Design of the Year (Te Aihe Butler) at the Wellington Theatre Awards 2024
“One of the best productions I’ve seen this year… a tender-hearted exemplar of what can be accomplished when creative stagecraft meets authentic, measured storytelling.” – TimeOut Melbourne ★★★★★
“Slickly staged and sharply written…as funny as it is wistful.” – The Stage
“Hilarious, heartwarming and moving” – Theatreview
Karin McCracken – Writer, Performer
Eleanor Bishop – Director
Simon Leary – Peformer
Filament Eleven 11 – Production & Light Design
Te Aihe Butler – Sound Designer
Peter Davison – Touring Operator
Melanie Hamilton – Producer
Image credit – Andy Crown Photography