‘UPU’ Combines Poetry And Theatre To Stunning Effect

It’s not often poetry receives the kind of gravitas that it does in UPU (meaning ‘words’ in Samoan), a breathtaking mix of theatre and wordplay that champions the perspectives of 23 First Nations poets from across Te moana Nui a Kiwa, otherwise known as the Pacific Ocean.

The poems, performed by the Aoteaora/New Zealand-based UPU Collective, vary wildly in tone and content. It’s precisely this variance that makes UPU such an electrifying, as it oscillates effortlessly from the harrowing effects of colonialism to wry satire and a desire for a different cultural existence.

Despite the wide array of cultural perspectives on display throughout UPU, it feels remarkably cohesive as a piece of theatre. The Studio at the Sydney Opera House is the perfect venue for this show, dripping with atmosphere as music plays and smoke billows before the lights even dim.

As the show opens, the six performers chant a longing in unison to return to the islands from which they came. The lighting and visuals of UPU bolster the power of each word spoken without ever feeling intrusive, and always matching the tone of the poem currently being performed.

The show begins on a solemn note, as the talented troupe of performers take turns sharing the sorcerous aura of poetry. Soon though, UPU evokes chuckles from the audience as poems with a more satirical edge are performed by the cast.

A particular highlight is Shadon Meredith’s performance of Craig Santos Perez’s SPAM’s carbon footprint, an extensive piece about the legacy of that infamous tinned food. Meredith’s delivery of the poem is hysterically ironic, yet laced with poignant commentary as it draws parallel between this infamous canned food and colonial projects.

UPU is magical

The strength of the performances across the board in UPU can’t be understated. Thanks to the show’s unconventional structure, none of them are in “lead” or “supporting” roles in the traditional sense. They instead share the stage and performance time equally, taking turns in transferring the magic to one another.

When actors Nicola Kāwana, Mia Blake and Ana Corbett come together to perform during the show, it’s always absolutely magnetic. Their joint reading of Sia Fiegel’s Songs of the fat brown woman is one of the most electric parts of the performance, the three women in perfect synchronisation with one another as they bring this work to life.

Screen veteran Maiava Nathaniel Lees is a commanding presence throughout the show, imbuing every word he says with gravitas and meaning; it’s no wonder that he’s given the closing remarks of UPU.

Fasitua Amosa is, too, a deeply moving presence onstage. My favourite reading of his was of Tafea Polamalu’s Daddy Said, told from the perspective of a Samoan dad telling his son about their move to America. The sense of cultural displacement is particularly powerful here and feels particularly poignant coming from Amosa, who is himself a NZ-Samoan man.

That deep well of cultural feeling and contemplation is what makes UPU a highly original, emotionally resonant work that champions the largely underappreciated work of First Nations poets through the power of theatre. Though only an hour long, UPU leaves you with the kind of satisfaction only good art can.

UPU is playing a sold-out season at the Opera House until May 10th.