As part of the 2023 Auckland Arts Festival, proud fa’afafine Petmal Lam stars in The Savage Coloniser Show, a stage adaptation of Tusiata Avia’s award-winning poetry collection, The Savage Coloniser Book.
Directed by Anapela Polata’ivao and produced by Victor Rodger for FCC Theatre, the company that also adapted Avia’s Wild Dogs Under My Skirt for the stage, Lam talks to express about the deep wounds at the root of Avia’s words and taking her work to New York.
WHAT CAN EXPRESS READERS EXPECT FROM THIS WORLD PREMIERE OF THE SAVAGE COLONISER SHOW AT THE AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL?
The title says it all about what you can expect from the show. There is a structure in which Tusiata Avia has written the poems, in a dark and quick-witted humor. The kind of humor that makes you laugh, cringe, and sick in the stomach. At this point of our process, there are a lot of elements that we are exploring on the floor to bring these poems in its physical form such as music, soundscapes, songs, and body movements. It is a mixture of everything. So, expect the unexpected.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST READ THE SAVAGE COLONISER BOOK AND WHAT IMPACT DID IT HAVE ON YOU?
When I first read the book in 2020, I was in my room. The book is divided into three parts by the symbol of the Samoan malu. I remember crying as I was reading through some of the poems in the first part of the book. Like the one about Australia’s human rights infringements from their treatment of Aboriginal First Nations Peoples to Manus Island refugees, to America’s Black Lives Matter movement, to the Christchurch massacre. It is heartbreaking and upsetting at the same time because I can’t do anything about the damage that has been done, due to colonialism and racism on our people.
YOU MADE A LOT OF FANS WHEN YOU STARRED IN THE ADAPTATION OF TUSIATA AVIA’S WILD DOGS UNDER MY SKIRT. IN YOUR OPINION, HOW DOES THE SAVAGE COLONISER
SHOW COMPARE TO WILD DOGS?
After a couple of workshops for the show this year, I would say The Savage Coloniser Show has its own DNA. It has its own flavor that requires a different recipe to make and create the world of The Savage Coloniser. In Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, Tusiata speaks about her experiences as an afakasi (mixed race) woman navigating her way between the hardcore Fa’a Samoa versus the New Zealand ways.
The Savage Coloniser Book speaks on politics, racism, and colonization based on historical events that have occurred in the past that left a lot of pain, emotional and psychological wounds in our communities.
AS A CAST MEMBER, YOU TOOK WILD DOGS TO NEW YORK IN 2020. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE FOR YOU?
I was actually surprised at how well the show was received in New York. We had people flying in from Hawai’i and different states of America to watch the show and we never had an empty house. These are people of different ethnicities all coming together to see a Pasefika show performed by six women from the Pacific. At that time it was exactly what New York needed before the world went into lockdown.
WHAT ARE YOUR RESOLUTIONS FOR 2023?
I don’t have any resolutions for 2023 yet. I think I’ll just go with the flow and see where I end up. Keeping it spontaneous in 2023.
WHAT IS A DREAM ROLE YOU ARE YET TO PLAY, AND WHY IS THAT YOUR DREAM ROLE?
I would love to play a villain or a psychopath in a film because, why not?
WHAT OTHER SHOWS ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE AT THE AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL IN 2023?
I look forward to seeing: Sandsong: Stories From The Great Sandy Desert, Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra, and Tama Waipara: Te Katoa.
The Savage Coloniser Show – Fierce, furious and fabulously unforgiving – don’t miss the world premiere stage adaptation of Tusiata Avia’s blistering poetry collection.
Rangatira, Q Theatre Thu 9 – Sun 12 March
For tickets and more info, visit aaf.co.nz
