- Tuesday 21 Apr 2026, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
- Wednesday 22 Apr 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Thursday 23 Apr 2026, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
- Friday 24 Apr 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Saturday 25 Apr 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Tuesday 28 Apr 2026, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
- Wednesday 29 Apr 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Thursday 30 Apr 2026, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
- Friday 1 May 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Saturday 2 May 2026, 2pm to 4pm
- Saturday 2 May 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Tuesday 5 May 2026, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
- Wednesday 6 May 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Thursday 7 May 2026, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
- Friday 8 May 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
- Saturday 9 May 2026, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
21 April 2026
Wahine Mātātoa: The (Mostly) True Story of Erihāpeti Pātahi
A hilariously daring journey through time, ancestry, and adventure, where dreams, decisions, and tupuna guide the way.
A comedy of consequences, Wahine Mātātoa: the (mostly) true story of Erihāpeti Pātahi, tells the story of our wahine Kāi Tahu across time and space, where the protagonist, Elizabeth, navigates how to balance decisions that could potentially end her dreams of adventure. This all takes place as she visits the (mostly) true stories of her ancestor Erihāpeti Pātahi, a high-born, high-spirited wahine, a force as untameable as the sea.
A direct descendent of the titular character, playwright Cindy Diver has woven the play’s narrative around the stories of her tupuna, bringing to life a uniquely southern story that has us consider what parts of stories are passed down – and what we end up piecing together from other sources.
How do we navigate the future while holding on to our dreams?
“Wahine Mātātoa is the modern Māori equivalent of Shakespeare…It speaks directly to Māori in the audience and breaches the cultural divide to be a wairua boosting experience for tauiwi and pākehā as well.” – Theatreview
“This is the story telling that I remember sitting at the feet of my aunties. It is who we are. It is why I would love to see it shared across all of Aotearoa.” – Tā Ian Taylor
A comedy of consequences, Wahine Mātātoa: the (mostly) true story of Erihāpeti Pātahi, tells the story of our wahine Kāi Tahu across time and space, where the protagonist, Elizabeth, navigates how to balance decisions that could potentially end her dreams of adventure. This all takes place as she visits the (mostly) true stories of her ancestor Erihāpeti Pātahi, a high-born, high-spirited wahine, a force as untameable as the sea.
A direct descendent of the titular character, playwright Cindy Diver has woven the play’s narrative around the stories of her tupuna, bringing to life a uniquely southern story that has us consider what parts of stories are passed down – and what we end up piecing together from other sources.
How do we navigate the future while holding on to our dreams?
“Wahine Mātātoa is the modern Māori equivalent of Shakespeare…It speaks directly to Māori in the audience and breaches the cultural divide to be a wairua boosting experience for tauiwi and pākehā as well.” – Theatreview
“This is the story telling that I remember sitting at the feet of my aunties. It is who we are. It is why I would love to see it shared across all of Aotearoa.” – Tā Ian Taylor
Location
The Court Theatre, 129 Gloucester Street, Central City
The Court Theatre, 129 Gloucester Street, Central City
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