Waiora Te Ūkaipō — The Homeland

The impact of colonisation and urban drift are themes in a theatrical reboot at the next Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. ‘Waiora Te Ūkaipō — The Homeland’ was originally commissioned by the festival in 1992. Its return 34 years later at the 2026 festival is highly anticipated. It has become a landmark piece of New Zealand theatre — exploring the tension between past and future. Set in the summer of 1965, the play follows Hone, who brings his family from New Zealand’s East Cape to the South Island in search of a better life. As they gather for a beachside birthday hāngī with their Pākehā guests, buried secrets and cultural tensions rise to the surface. Far from their  tīpuna , the family must navigate questions of identity, belonging, and survival. 

Waiora Te Ūkaipō was conceived, written and directed by Hone Kouka (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu). The multi-award-winning writer/director has penned 13 plays. Many have been staged in Aotearoa and further afield in Canada, South Africa, New Caledonia, and the UK. Waiora Te Ūkaipō is presented in partnership with the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts, Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival, Auckland Theatre Company and Tawata Productions.