Polylogues

A polylogue, in theatre terms, is a collection of monologues on a theme, delivered by an ensemble of actors. Perhaps the most well-known polylogue is Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues (1996).

The polylogue form is an impactful way of presenting a multitude of perspectives and different voices. The form is also accessible for audiences, with shorter vignettes that provide insight without recourse to a larger narrative or character relationships.

Since 2019 Sally Richards and Kerryn Palmer have brought 5 polylogues to the stage as part of TAHI Festival. They have been some of the most well-received and attended performances of the Festival:

“The polylogue component of each TAHI New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance has become an eagerly anticipated event - Tiny Deaths (2019); Batch (2020); Whānau (2021); Joy (2022). And in 2023 ONO was co-directed by Sally Richards and Nicola Hyland - six new monologues by Māori and Pasifika writers, especially commissioned for TAHI through partnership and manaakitanga with Taki Rua Productions.”

Superbly crafted stories brought to life in riveting performances
Review by John Smythe 13th Sep 2023

What is a Polylogue?

Yummy Mummy. Unfit mother. Unwed mother. Mother Tongue. Mother Superior. Difficult Mother. Mother F *****.

“Mothered” is about shining the light on the experiences of both children and motherhood. The show explores the complex and essential relationship to our mothers and how societies critique , celebrate and Maligned, mummied, dearest. With humour, catharsis, and tenderness, these monologues give voice to us all.

Not just for mothers, but for all those who know a mother, or have had one!

The stories will be in the form of a polylogue — delivered by an ensemble of 3–5 performers. These monologues will be sourced from:

  • Extant text from NZ solo shows

  • Verbatim text from interviews

  • New monologues from NZ playwrights

  • Spoken word and poetry, different languages, media, music, or physical theatre

The work will include a range of narratives that acknowledge the myriad of perspectives on motherhood — including cross-cultural experiences, those without mothers, those who choose not to mother, those forced to, and experiences across the gender binary.

To be presented in September 2027 during the TAHI New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance.

2027 Mothered

Collaborators
Sally Richards - Co-Creator/Director/Producer
Kerryn Palmer - Co-Creator/Director
Bronwyn Turei - Performer
Melissa Sutherland - Writer/Performer
Sameena Zehra - Performer
Vanessa Rhodes - Performer/Writer
Rebekah de Roo - Designer

2023 ONO

In 2023, TAHI New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance commissioned a new polylogue, ONO, a collection of six new monologues by Māori and Pasifika writers, with Taki Rua Productions as Executive Co-Presenting Partner at Circa Theatre and Te Pou Theatre.

These six stories weave together concepts of aroha/alofa in a myriad of ways — as both tūingoa (noun) and tūmahi (verb). From learning to love our tīnana, to the mysteries of sisters; from lost and loveless fathers to a whānau bound by struggle; from a cautionary tale of inherited power to the love stories threaded through a whakapapa, ONO takes audiences to the heart of humanity itself.

Writers:

  • Jthan Morgan

  • Michaella Steel

  • Vela Manusaute

  • Īhaka Martyn

  • Poata Alvie McKree

  • Tainui Tukiwaho

Performed by:

  • Kaisa Fa’atui

  • Erina Daniels

  • Emma Katene

  • Robert Lloyd

Directed by:

  • Sally Richards

  • Nicola Hyland

Reviews
“Superbly crafted stories brought to life in riveting performances.”
Theatre Review – ONO
Art Murmurs – ONO Review

2022 JOY

Joy — “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness” — is what the world needs more of right now.

But joy is a shifting creature. What constitutes joy? How do you define something so nebulous?

Our Joy is a collection of six new monologues by female and non-binary writers, especially commissioned for the 2022 TAHI New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance.

Writers Henrietta Bollinger, Mel Dodge, Stevie Greeks, Ren Lunicke, Indigo Paul, and Elspeth Tilley explore what joy means to them through the highs and lows of menopause, childbirth, freedom, whānau, whakapapa, and acceptance.

Performed by:

  • Mel Dodge

  • Stevie Hancox-Monk

  • Nī Dekkers-Reihana

Directed by:

  • Sally Richards

  • Kerryn Palmer

Creative Team:

  • Angie Farrow (Dramaturg)

  • Jade Erikson (Dramaturg)

  • Beth Barclay (Producer)

  • Sally Richards (Producer)

  • Fay Ven Der Meulen (Project Manager)

Reviews
“Not only have this group of artists created a thoughtful and thought-provoking meditation on the theme of joy, but they have also created a joyful production that engages and enlightens while it entertains.”
Regional News – Joy Review

2021 WHĀNAU

Four amazing actors, eleven homegrown monologues, sixty minutes.

Following a sell-out season at the 2021 TAHI Festival of Solo Performance, Whānau lifts the lid on the complexity of family relationships — from disastrous to delicious — through extracts from ten brilliant New Zealand solo shows.

Writers:

  • Vela Manusaute (Island Mafia)

  • Felix Desmarais (HOME)

  • Rob Mokaraka (Shot Bro)

  • Jamie McCaskill (Not in My Neighbourhood)

  • Toa Fraser (No. 2)

  • John Broughton (Michael James Manaia)

  • Emily Duncan (Eloise in the Middle)

  • Melissa Sutherland (Batter UP)

  • Nicola Pauling (She Danced on a Friday).

Directed by:

  • Sally Richards

  • Kerryn Palmer

Performed By:

  • Rupene Butler

  • Hannah Kelly

  • Melissa Sutherland

  • Emma Katene

  • Ngahiriwa Ruahine

  • Ezra Tseiuli

Reviews

“Each actor morphs into each role with total integrity. As an insightful glimpse into the multitude of ways families manifest themselves, Whānau is a rich and profound experience.”
— Theatreview

“The mark of a successful theatre production is that you’re left wanting more. I could have happily watched this group of talented actors telling their uniquely Kiwi stories with genuine pathos and humour well into the night.”
— Tanya Piejus, Regional News

WHĀNAU TOUR

In 2022, we also presented a schools tour of Whānau to 15 schools across the greater Pōneke and Hawke’s Bay regions.

Participating schools included Kuranui College, Naenae College, Newlands College, Sacred Heart College, Wellington College, St Matthew’s Collegiate School, St Catherine’s College, St Patrick’s College, Mana College, Paraparaumu College, along with several schools throughout Hawke’s Bay in partnership with Toitoi – Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre.

The schools tour played an important role in testing our capacity for regional delivery and supporting the goals of our strategic plan toward a future regional expansion of the TAHI Festival. The tour proved highly successful and was warmly received by venues, teachers, and students alike.

The tour was funded by the Performing Arts Foundation, Hutt City Council, South Wairarapa District Council, and Porirua City Council.

Teacher Feedback

“They were blown away by the shifts and changes, and agreed that the performers were masters of their craft. It was inspiring for them to see such professional work, and it informs their work and ability to observe and integrate the world around them.”
— Teacher

“Most students rarely attend live performances on their own accord. Having opportunities for live performance to be readily accessible to them is incredibly important in exposing them to what New Zealand theatre looks like, and how they can progress as actors and practitioners. It expands their understanding of performance, as they can often become caught within their own bubble of what they are creating at school. They get to see real people performing diverse and interesting work, and experience how one person can tell a powerful story.”
— Teacher

2020 BATCH

In 2020, we created a brand-new work called BATCH — a collection of quintessential monologues from New Zealand solo shows that explore what it means to be a New Zealander.

Review

“What a treat to be reminded of our rich resource of homegrown solo drama... All four actors bring great talent and skill to the works. These 12 succulent morsels from 10 superb solo plays are just an appetiser for the countless homegrown solo plays on offer. No wonder the TAHI Festival has become an annual event. Highly recommended.”
— Theatreview

2021 BATCH Schools Tour
In 2021, BATCH toured to a number of schools throughout the Wellington region, including:

  • Wellington East Girls’ College

  • Newlands College

  • Wellington High School

  • Tawa College

  • Wellington Girls’ College

  • Mana College

  • Kuranui College

  • St Bernard’s College

  • Sacred Heart College

  • Paraparaumu College

The tour provided students with the opportunity to engage with contemporary New Zealand theatre and experience professional solo performance work in an accessible educational setting.

Performed By:

  • Emma Katene

  • Melissa Sutherland

  • Tupe Lualua

  • James Ladyan

  • Ravi Gurunathan

Directed by:

  • Sally Richards

  • Kerryn Palmer

Writers:

  • Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis

  • Jo Randerson

  • Henrietta Bollinger

  • Mel Johnson

  • Bruce Mason

  • Sam Brooks

  • Miranda Harcourt

  • William Brandt

  • Shadon Meredith

  • Briar Grace-Smith.