Matapehi

‘He ao kē anō, he takiwā kē anō i noho ai a Hakipia ki te tito i āna whakaari. Engari ko ngā kaupapa matua o roto, kei te ao nui tonu, kei te ao Māori anō. I tēnei o āna titonga, i pēhia ai te kiripuaki matua e ngā mata a ngā kuia matakite, i nui ai te maringi o te toto, koia nei ētahi o ngā kaupapa tāpua, e ngau tonu nei i ēnei rā, huri i te ao: ko ngā taukumekume o pai rāua ko kino, ko te rere kōtui o te ao kiko me te ao mariko, ko te ngākau apo ki te mana nui ahakoa pēhea rawa te inati o te utu, tae atu ki ōna tukunga iho – ki te kaniawhea, ki te pōrangi, ki te ngakinga o te mate.’

‘Shakespeare wrote his plays in a quite different time and place to our own, but the main issues in the plays resonate in the wider world today and in the Māori world also. In this play, that sees Macbeth’s mind overwhelmed by the spells of witches and bloodshed everywhere, the following are some of the key themes, which remain relevant still: the conflict between good and evil, the interplay between the physical and spiritual worlds, the hunger for power no matter the cost, and the consequences of that hunger – remorse, madness, death.’

‘E whakaahua ana a Te Haumihiata Mason i tōna tohungatanga ki te tui haere i ētahi ao e rua, kia kotahi, me te whai whakaaro tonu ki te mana motuhake o tēnā, o tēnā ao. Ko tana rehe ki tāna mahi kua kitea i roto i te ngahurutanga tau, i tāna i whakaako ai, me tāna i tuhi ai. Ngā tohu rā o tana rumakina ki tā te Māori titiro ki tōna ao, me tōna reo ūkaipō, me te aha, puare mai ana te tatau kia whātare atu ai te ākonga ki te ao o nehe o ō tātou tīpuna. Ko tā mātou noho hei pia mā Te Haumihiata, otirā mā Hakipia tonu, he hōnore tino nui.’

‘Te Haumihiata Mason portrays an incredible practical experience in the art of weaving together as one, two very different worlds and languages, in a way that respects the integrity of both. Her expertise and experience born out in the many decades of teaching and vast published works, are testament to the unique Māori worldview and distinct native tongue she was born with, that for ākonga opens a door into the yesteryear of our forebears. Our time with Te Haumihiata and by extension Shakespeare himself was an absolute privilege.’

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was a playwright, poet and actor. He is considered the most influential writer in the English language: his plays have been translated into almost every language and are performed in schools and theatres more often than any other playwright. Shakespeare’s Macbeth was first performed around 1606.