Theatre Scenes: Auckland Theatre Blog (Reviews, interviews and commentary)
14Aug/111

REVIEW: The Factory (Kila Kokonut Krew)

Killer Kreation Knocks yer socks off [by Sharu Delilkan]

The Factory

The Factory

The ‘Klu Kux Klan’ of Pacifica aka Kila Kokonut Krew have yet again pulled a rabbit out of the hat with another first - The Factory, New Zealand’s first Pacific Island musical.

“What the hell”, I thought.  “How can it have taken until 2011 to produce a musical, with the abundance of Pacific Island musical talent in Aotearoa?”

The Factory is not just created by Islanders, it’s a musical about Islanders, that covers the struggles faced by generations of Islanders coming to Niu Sila for “milk, honey and money".

The show is the brainchild of KKK co-founder Vela Manusaute and is inspired by his father’s journey to Aotearoa to work and make a better life for his family.

The factory is the main character, originally providing hope and income for new arrivals to New Zealand but ultimately stripping the workers of their connections to family and their aspirations for a better life.