Leiola

What are we doing?

We're putting on a show!

Leiola is a show about a helu that goes missing. What entails is an examination into the complex, rich and multi-layered relationships Tongan women hold with themselves, each other and society at large. 

Think the humour and drama from your favourite Tyler Perry production but make it Tongan.

Think the complexity, depth and richness of The Colour Purple but make it Tongan.

This story is all the graciousness of your favourite aunty, the sass of your fahu, and the warmth of your nena, wrapped into one! Leiola is an intimate tale of how a family balance their obligations to the rest of the world, while also ensuring that they are able to navigate the issues that percolate closer to home. 

Will they solve who stole the helu in the lead up to a coronation? Will they be able to come back as a family from all this dysfunction? Leiola asks many questions, but audiences will have to come with the answers.

Why now?

We are at an unprecedented time culturally, artistically, environmentally etc. Leiola is our gift to the world to honour and celebrate many of the women in our lives who have gone before us to make life easier, as well as celebrating the complexity of the women who navigate our current day and age. We believe this story is ready to tell across the world, and we believe that you (our communities) are ready to hear it!

Where your funding will go towards

As a team of Tongan storytellers we believe that good stories take time, and our communities deserve only the best. Therefore, we are wanting to raise $3000 from our communities to go towards the development and growth of this show, so that when it is time for us to take this to you all (our villages) we are able to bring what our communities deserve.

What this means in real time is that your funding up front will allow us to pay the production team (the writer, directors, producer, costume designer, choreographer & musical director) for the rehearsal and developmental process, while also giving us scope to build partnerships with other organisations to ensure that there is sustainable growth behind both the production of this story and the longevity of the makers behind it.

The opportunity

We have been granted match funding through Creative NZ through their Boosted x Moana partnership. What this means is that for every dollar provided, CNZ will match that up to $3000. That means that while our goal is to source $3000 from within our communities, CNZ will match that dollar for dollar and we will be able to have a working budget of $6000.

With the investement in the show we would be able to take to the stage a story that is full of laughter, heartache, a bit of comedy for good measure and above all, a story that God, our ancestors, our lands and our communities can be proud of.

The People

Writer & Co- director - Selu Iloahefaiva

Choreographer & Co- director - Faeamani Lokotui

Cultural Advisor & Script Assistant - Langiola Tonga

Producer & Script Assistant - Zech Soakai