‘Must see’ show inspired by family history
Sitting in on a History lecture in 2014 on the Spanish Influenza, Victoria University Pacific Studies Honours graduate Tupe Lualua would never have imagined the path it was about to set her on.
“My Pacific Studies lecturer Sailau Suali'i-Sauni suggested we head along to this public lecture hosted by Victoria’s History programme. Researcher Dr John McLane was talking about Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918 that claimed the lives of almost a third of Sāmoa’s population and became a catalyst for Sāmoa’s resistance against the New Zealand colonial government.”
By the end of the lecture, Tupe was wiping away tears and thinking of her beloved grandmother Avea’i Fui, who had recounted similar stories of growing up in Western Sāmoa—stories of sickness and mass graves. With a background in dance and choreography, Tupe’s response was both emotional and creative.
“I was so inspired. My choreographer’s mind was immediately seeing images and movements.”
Tupe got on the phone to her nephew Andy Faiaoga who was then dancing for Black Grace, and started storyboarding ideas for a dance performance that would capture the essence of her grandmother’s memories alongside Dr McLane’s research.
Fast forward two years and Tupe is not long home from a sell-out season of “1918” at the San Diego International Fringe Festival. The production earned Tupe and her Wellington-based dance company Le Moana rave reviews and the Critic’s Pick award.
San Diego Reader reviewer Jeff Smith was effusive in his praise: “I don’t like to call a show a “must-see,” because what you must do is your own business. But 1918is one of the best, most moving shows I’ve seen at all the various Fringe Festivals I’ve attended. It’s a must. Oh—and better get there early. There will be a line.”
Tupe is happy to linger for a moment on the success of 1918, but her mind is already leaping to Le Moana’s next project, the Measina Festival, a showcase of Pasifika dance and theatre at Bats Theatre later this year, co-hosted with Jandals Inc.
Born and raised in Wellington, Tupe says Victoria’s Pacific Studies programme has changed the way she thinks about her Samoan heritage and how she looks at the world.
“It’s taken my arts practice to another level. It’s one thing to learn for knowledge, but another to learn about who you are.”