The Mooncake and the Kumara

Overview

After premiering in 2015 and selling out seasons across the country, The Mooncake and the Kūmara returns to Hannah Playhouse for a brief 2017 tour to share its fascinating story.

Inspired by playwright Mei-Lin Te Puea Hansen's grandparents, this moving piece shares the story of a cross-cultural romance, transporting us back to 1929, a time when Chinese men experienced racism, and Māori communities were being dismantled.

The Maori-Chinese love affair began in a Manawatu market garden, where a chance encounter between Yee from Long Gai, southern China, and Elsie, of Māori heritage soon blossomed into a heart-melting romance.

Layered with myth and fable, the award-winning play combines history, duty, secrets and identity and is told with a rich mix of languages — English, Māori and Cantonese.

If you didn't get the chance for this stunning piece to pull at your heart strings then make sure you don't miss it this time around.