Ngā Whakaari Reo Māori
I ia tau ka whakaatu a Taki Rua i ngā whakaaturanga ki te hunga tamariki e kuraina ana huri noa i Aotearoa, ahakoa te pakeke. He whakaari pārekareka, he whai kiko, otirā he reo Māori. Nō te tau 1995 whakarewa ai Te Wā Reo Māori ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara, he tīma kaiwhakaari me tōna hāpai o muri ka huri haere i te whānui o Aotearoa, ka kawe atu i ngā rauemi whakaari, ngā kākahu, ngā taputapu me ngā taonga oro. Ahakoa pēhea nei te mārama o te tangata ki te reo Māori, he whakaaturanga whakahihiko tēnei ka tāea e te katoa te mātakitaki, ka whakaatuhia atu ki ngā kura kaupapa, ki ngā kura auraki me ngā hapori whānui.
Nā Tere Harrison
He hiahia nui tō Rongotai ki te noho hei kaituku waiata rongonui ki Aotearoa, heoi, ko tō Kui Hauora kei te tapepa haere kē a ia. Nō reira, mā te tautoko o tana whanaunga a Whaiora, tētehi hue tūmatarau, ngā waiata me ngā haka a Kui Hauora ka whakaako a Kui Hauora i a Rongotai ki ngā waiata tawhito hei mahi māna ki te whakataetae ki Te Pao Roa. He pūrākau a Te Aka Tawhito mō ngā wero ki te hunga rangatahi. Ko ngā wero o te whakatau moemoeā, te tō mai i te hinengaro ki te ao mārama me te mahi nui o te whakapono ki a koe anō.
He whakaatatanga tēnei kaupapa o Te Wā Reo Māori i ngā mahi toi, i nga mahi auaha huri noa i a Aotearoa mā te tuku whakaari ki te reo Māori, kia kounga ai ngā kaupapa Māori me ngā kaupapa reo Māori ki te motu whānui.
Kaitā Pikitia Jacob Wilkins-Hodges
E huri haere ana te whakaari rumaki reo nei o Te Aka Tawhito ki ngā taone nei huri noa i te motu i te wāhanga tuatoru o te tau.
Mēnā koe e noho ana ki ngā wāhi kua whakamuramurahia i te mapi nei tuku īmera mai ki a bookings@takirua.co.nz hei whai i te pepa tono.
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Rere Atu Taku Poi Whānau
Director-
Regan Taylor
Ngāti Kahungunu/Ngāti Pikiao
A graduate of The Ucol Theatre School. Regan has been involved within New Zealand theatre for the past two decades as a director, actor, writer, producer and tutor.
For the past ten years Regan has been writing and directing theatre for youth completely in Te Reo Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand, performances have toured to theatres, schools and kura around Āotearoa New Zealand. Firstly Te Rēhia Theatre Company based in Auckland and more recently Directing for Capital E, National Theatre for Children NZ and Taki Rua Productions out of Wellington.
This is his fourth production in a directing capacity for Taki Rua. “Pourakahua, Tāku Waimārie, Te Aka Tawhito, Hatupatu l Kurungaituku:A Forbidden Love”
He is a regular guest director for Toi Whakaari – NZ Drama School. Regan is regularly invited to workshop new works for festivals and independent companies such as Playmarket New Zealand, Breaking Ground, Tawata Production, Taki Rua Productions, Koanga Festival, Te Pou Theatre, Sunday Script Sessions, Centrepoint Theatre and Barbarian Productions
Actor-
Te Hāmama Hohua
Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāpuhi, Ngati Hikairo
Te Hāmama, of Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hikairo descent, is a creative who delves into many areas within the arts. Including acting for screen and theatre, singing, dancing, choreographing, composing, kapa haka, underground ballroom and drag performance.
He is a graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School with a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts (Acting).
He has also been nominated for awards in both the NZ Fringe Awards (Most Promising Emerging Artist - Pane Provocations) and the Wellington Theatre Awards (Most Promising Newcomer - The Tīwhas: A Matariki Spectacular).
He is also one of the newest additions to The Tīwhas, a Māori drag queen collective, and the House of Marama, an underground ballroom house, both based in Te Whanganui a Tara.
He draws a lot of creative inspiration from his culture, his whānau, his home, and ultimately, his tūrangawaewae.
Stage/Tour Manager-
Liv Cowley
Ngāti Hauiti
Liv descends from the Mōkai Pātea rohe, with whakapapa to Ngāti Hauiti and links to Ngāi Te Ohuake, and Ngāti Whitikaupeka in the Rangitīkei region.
She was born and raised in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and graduated with a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Management) from Toi Whakaari in 2023.
Since graduation, she has worked on a range of kaupapa, including Kia Mau Festival (2023, 2025), Witi’s Wāhine (2024), Te Aka Tawhito (2024), and Te Kuia me te Pūngawerewere (2024).
On this tour, Liv works across the roles of stage management, tour management, and technical operating.
This is Liv’s third tour with Taki Rua, and she is so excited to help bring Rere Atu Taku Poi! to life for our tamariki and rangatahi.
Actor-
Paige Wilson
Ngāti Rangi, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Paige Wilson is a descendant of Te Awa Tupua, she holds a Diploma in Te Tohu Paetahi from the University of Waikato and has pursued studies in Mātauranga Māori at Te Wānanga o Raukawa.
With a deep passion for the arts, Paige views creativity as an inherent part of who she is — a natural outlet for expression, healing, and connection. Her journey in performance began through kapa haka, where her presence and artistry were recognised by Te Rākau Hua o te Wao Tapu. She later performed with them in The Swing and Unreel, continuing to explore the intersections of kaupapa Māori, storytelling, and theatre.
Paige is honoured to be part of this kaupapa and to share a story that she hopes will inspire other young artists to pursue their own aspirations and dreams.
Her work is deeply grounded in her culture, and she is committed to weaving te reo Māori, tikanga, and kapa haka into every aspect of her creative practice.
Actor-
Alanah Munn
Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Mahuta
Hailing from Tāmaki Mākaurau ki te Pitonga, Alanah is a Pōneke-based theatre practitioner. She spent four years studying at Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University of Wellington), graduating with a BA in Theatre & Te Reo Māori, and an MFA (Creative Practice) in Theatre.
Alanah has worked in a variety of roles, including as an actor, director, costumier, fight captain, lighting designer, and tech operator. Her most recent projects include Subversion (Ruckus Theatre 2025), Te Aka Tawhito (Taki Rua 2024), and her first original production Verdict (Requiem Productions 2024), which was nominated for Playmarket’s B425 award.
As a theatre practitioner, Alanah is passionate about integrating Te Reo Māori and tikanga Māori practices into the rehearsal room.
She is stoked to be returning to Taki Rua this year after an internship on last year’s Te Reo Māori season, and cannot wait to bring Rere Atu Taku Poi to kura around the motu!
Creatives and Designers
Writer- Bea Joblin
Pukapuka Author- Tangaroa Paul
Director- Regan Taylor
Stage/Tour Manager- Liv Cowley
Sound Designer- Maaka McGregor and Wai Ripia
Set Designer- Emile Commarieu
Costume Designer- Jie Ying Cai