Victor Rodger ONZM (Samoan (Iva), Scottish (Broughty Ferry)) is an award-winning playwright and producer known for his bold and provocative works that delve into race, identity, and sexuality. Born in Ōtautahi Christchurch to Samoan (Iva) and Scottish (Dundee) heritage, Victor has significantly influenced Aotearoa New Zealand theatre. A graduate of Toi Whakaari, Victor's first play, Sons, premiered at The Court Theatre in Ōtautahi Christchurch after being accepted into the Australasian Playwrights’ Workshop. A revised version of Sons was subsequently performed by Taki Rua Productions, winning four Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards, including Most Outstanding New Writer and Most Outstanding New Zealand Play. 

Rodger has held several prestigious writing residencies, including the Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence at the University of Hawaii, the Robert Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago, and the Victoria University of Wellington / Creative New Zealand Writer in Residence at the International Institute of Modern Letters. He also completed the University of Auckland Residency at the Michael King Writers' Centre.

As the founder of FCC (FLOW, CREATE, CONNECT), a theatre company dedicated to creating opportunities for Pasifika practitioners, Victor has produced significant works, including the award-winning The Mountaintop by Katori Hall and the multi-award-winning Wild Dogs Under My Skirt by 2020 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate Tusiata Avia, which was presented Off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse in 2020, winning the Best of the Fringe prize. In recognition of his contributions to theatre and Pacific arts, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2021.

Victor's television credits include writing for Shortland Street and the Pasifika supernatural series Teine Sā: The Ancient Ones. His writing has been published in several notable anthologies, including Black Marks on the White Page and 50 Stories for 50 Years in Aotearoa. He is committed to nurturing new talent, co-convening the Māori and Pasifika creative writing workshop at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University.

Panel statement: “Victor Rodger’s contribution to the landscape of queer writing has been profound. A writer whose voice is unabashedly his own, deeply authentic and subversive, he has opened up the possibilities of what one is allowed to put on stage. A fearless artist and arts advocate."

Thank you to Corner Store for helping us tell these stories of impact, and to these contributors to the video: The Court Theatre, and 2021 Laureate Shane Bosher.