Led by Kiwi actor Rawiri Paratene (Whale Rider), this New Zealand documentary follows a group of the nation’s finest Maori actors, Ngakau Toa, as they prepare to perform a Te Reo adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida at the legendary Globe Theatre in London. Read more.
In 2011, renowned Kiwi thespian Rawiri Paratene was invited to perform a culturally-unique Shakespeare adaptation at the London Globe Theatre, rallying a group of indigenous actors to create a Maori take on Troilus and Cressida. Mike Jonathan’s documentary is intent on showing the performers’ journey from the wananga to the stage and the surprising difficulty of their highly ambitious project: funding issues, director Rachel House’s inability to make it to London, lead actor Kimo Houltham’s fears of being “a suck Troilus”.
However, it’s the hurdles surrounding the translation of Shakespeare’s work I found more fascinating: intermediate-level and fluent speakers of Maori alike expressed the difficulty of speaking the Ye Olde Reo in Te Haumihiata Mason’s reworked script. It’s a real shame that we’re not given further insight to Mason’s creative processes or other aspects that are merely teased (the kapa haka segments, the translated tikanga, the fleeting role of the women), that make this adaptation uniquely Maori, for it seemed like a much more vital segment in this production’s voyage.
Even though this documentary could have done a better job of familiarising us with key team members – as well as the actual story of Troilus and Cressida for Shakespeare ignoramuses like myself – Road to the Globe still manages to evoke an infectious feeling of triumph in its final ten minutes, dedicated solely to the highlights of the performance and the collective mana emitting from the group afterwards. By showing the humour, tragedy and beauty of Shakespeare’s work through Te Reo, it gives rousing evidence of the beauty of the Maori language, and how necessary it is to protect it.
