Speaking to Nine to Noon, Whitehead said the opera is the story of an extraordinary man but it also conveyed the history of Māori in battle and how for a long time there was no possibility of a Māori contingent serving in World War I. “My great uncle served in Company A, the company that Dansey was [in command of], so that was what led me to research more of his life and then as I started researching who the current day whānau were, my aunty knew them quite well, my uncles worked with them down in Otago and so it was this kind of unpacking lots of familial connections.” “So many projects have been put aside, are not happening and it’s just wonderful to finally bring this story to light and to the stage, and to come together - this is the first time we’ve all been together in the flesh.”
Author: Nine To Noon
Published at: 2025-07-08 21:46:28
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