Ahead of the premier of his starring role in Set In Stone as part of Fringe In The ‘Stings, Eru Heke tells us what it’s like to be a young drag queen living in Hawke’s Bay.
For 19-year-old drag artist and actor Eru Heke, Hawke’s Bay isn’t just home, it’s where art, identity, and community intertwine. “I was born and bred in Hawke’s Bay. It’s home for me,” he says. “I really love the sense of community here and seeing how much the arts and queer scenes are growing over time.”
That growth is visible in events like Fringe in the ’Stings, Hastings’ expanding fringe festival, which this year showcases Eru’s latest project, Set in Stone, a new piece of devised verbatim theatre inspired by the life of a local trans woman, that sees Eru take the lead. The show explores truth, memory, and transformation, asking what it means to “carve out an identity in a place that doesn’t always see you.”
“What really drew me in was how authentic and heartfelt the story is,” Eru explains. “It shines a light on lived experience in such a raw and honest way, and I felt really connected to that truth-telling, especially as someone who’s grown up queer in Hawke’s Bay.”
It’s a story that feels deeply personal. For Eru, performing Set in Stone isn’t just acting — it’s an act of empathy. “There’s a huge responsibility in representing someone’s truth with care and respect,” he says. “I think it’s about listening deeply, understanding the emotional weight behind their story, and making sure every word is delivered with empathy and mana.”
Growing up queer in a smaller region hasn’t always been easy, but Eru has found visibility through performance, both in theatre and drag. “That question, ‘What does it mean to carve out an identity in a place that doesn’t always see you?’, hits close to home,” he reflects. “Growing up here, it hasn’t always been easy to express yourself fully, but performing and doing drag has helped me carve out space to be seen and to help others feel seen too. It’s about visibility, resilience, and pride in who you are.”
Eru’s drag journey began young. “I started experimenting with makeup when I was about 11 or 12, and once I discovered RuPaul’s Drag Race, I was completely inspired,” he recalls. “I’ve been doing drag for around five years now and have performed at places like The Common Room, Fringe in the ’Stings, and a variety of local community events.”
For Eru, drag is more than glamour; it’s storytelling, activism, and art. And Set in Stone gives him the chance to merge those creative instincts with his growing presence in Hawke’s Bay’s theatre scene. “It’s really powerful to tell this story here, in the place it comes from,” he says. “There’s something special about sharing local stories with local audiences; it helps our community see itself reflected and reminds people that meaningful art can come from anywhere.”
That message seems to be resonating. Eru has noticed a tangible shift in the region’s openness to queer expression. “I’ve definitely noticed growth,” he says. “The community is slowly becoming more open and supportive, and it’s been amazing to see audiences who might not have engaged with queer art before showing up with genuine interest and appreciation. There’s still progress to be made, but the change is happening.”
At the heart of both his drag and Set in Stone lies the same philosophy – authenticity. “To me, it means peeling back all the layers of fear and expectation until you find your truest self,” Eru says. “It’s not about changing who you are, it’s about rediscovering the person you’ve always been inside.”
After Fringe, he’s not slowing down. “I’m excited to keep developing my drag and performing more across the region,” he says. “I’m also interested in exploring more storytelling and theatre projects that celebrate queer voices and community.”
With Set in Stone, Eru Heke is proving that powerful, heartfelt queer art doesn’t need to come from big cities; it can grow, beautifully, right here in Hawke’s Bay.
🎭 Set in Stone premieres this Friday, 21 November at 7.30pm.
🎟️ Book your tickets and support local queer artistry at: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/set-in-stone/hastings/tickets
🌐 For more info on the festival, visit: https://www.fringeinthestings.co.nz
