Catch, gut, release _{by Madelaine Empson}

Aotearoa’s longest-surviving Māori theatre company, Te Rākau Hua o Te Wao Tapu, is bringing a new Theatre Marae show about the impact of gambling to several venues across Te Upoko o Te Ika this September and October as part of an eight-stop 2024 community tour.  

Commissioned by Ora Toa Mauriora, Unreel was written by critically acclaimed Māori playwright Helen Pearse-Otene and directed by stage and screen veteran Jim Moriarty MNZM, who worked alongside addiction specialists and community members on the creative research project.

Set in the colourful Hīnaki Hotel & Gaming Lounge, the play tells the compelling story of a community affected by gambling through the larger-than-life launch of the very first A.I. pokie machine. It features songs and dances by Cherry and Bells and the acting talents of Regan Taylor (The Patriarch, Gurl), Hariata Moriarty (Cousins, Red, White & Brass), and many more.

Jim Moriarty hopes Unreel will open the door on an important conversation.

“Gambling is a lot more complex than people think”, he explains.

“The gambler is being duped. You are paying for the thrill to be entertained, paying to lose. I don’t know if people think about that and/or how normalised yet how destructive it is. It’s not random and chance, it has all been worked out. It’s been made pretty so people participate and you get the dopamine hits.”

“People are reeled in”, the kaitohu (director) continues. “‘Catch, gut, and release’. People are caught, their guts are ripped out, and they are let go. It is so normalised: you know the TAB person has as much status now in a sports event as the commentators.”

“People affected know the destructive nature of the empty fridge, the diversion into unhealthy choices, the robberies. How destructive it is to their lives, their relationships.”

Te Rākau has a collective hope:

“That the vibrance and musicality of Unreel not only entertains but also provokes thought and stimulates kōrero about the social cost of gambling.”

To find a show near you, visit www.terakau.org