Half Of The Sky (Digital Production)

Massive Theatre Company proudly presents the digital premiere of Half of the Sky. Destined for a live audience in 2021, Tāmaki Makaurau’s extended lockdown caused the company to change course. Now, we are delighted to share Half of the Sky digitally, alongside a companion documentary that shows the process that brought this production to the screen, rather than the stage.

The Rose sisters journey home for a weekend of birthday celebrations beside their awa. Ny, Rua and Rika find themselves caught in a whirlwind of realisations, as incomplete truths become whole, and the ties that bind their whānau together are tested. A weekend of pitching tents riverside, sharing snacks, hilarious dancing and reminiscing becomes embroiled with lies, loss, and old and new love as the sisters face the inescapable truths of the past and work out what is most important to them.

Half of the Sky was written by BAFTA award-winning actor and playwright Lennie James, best known for his work on hit TV shows Fear The Walking Dead, Save Me and Save Me Too. Returning to their roles from the premiere season are long-time Massive collaborators Kura Forrester (Shortland Street, Golden Boy), Max Palamo (The Sons of Charlie Paora, Super City II), and Pat Tafa (The Wholehearted, Westside). Alongside them are Trae Te Wiki (Second Unit: What We Do in the Shadows and Hine Kihāwai) and Massive newcomer Roimata Fox (Waru, The Pā Boys).

“Distinctly unique to New Zealand and refreshingly funny” - NZ Herald
“A play that makes us think about our priorities and life choices” – Theatrescenes

The companion documentary premieres first on Thursday 13 October at 7pm.
The digital production premieres a week later on Thursday 20 October at 7pm.
Both are available to view until Sunday 6th of November.

The background:
After a hugely successful season in 2019, Massive Theatre Company was due to remount Half of the Sky, a heart-warming and tender tale of three sisters and whānau dynamics, in September 2021. Instead, Tāmaki Makaurau was plunged into another Level 4 lockdown.

In response to the lockdown, Massive nimbly shifted to working online, rehearsing and then performing Half of the Sky via Zoom twice, all while documenting the journey.

These performances have been superbly edited together allowing for high quality, evocative and seamless storytelling.

Alongside the digital production, a companion documentary was created to give an intimate look into the process of one of Aotearoa’s most acclaimed theatre companies. Audiences get a behind-the-scenes experience as director Samantha Scott leads the Half of the Sky cast in responding to obstacles COVID once again posed to live performance.

“Once it became clear that the lockdown was going to continue and we would never be able to put our show onstage in the time allowed, we could have of course stopped, but it felt like a bit of an opportunity for us…” – Samantha Scott, Artistic Director