02/09/2025
Today we celebrate the tour of Tangihanga. Yesterday they hit the road from the Hawkes Bay and began their National tour, after a successful opening season, to be followed by their international tour of Tangihanga.
Here is a Behind the Scenes of some of what it took to make the set and props used in the production.
Kristyl Neho asked that everything had the feel of a Beer crate. This was the vibe of her father, who this show is about. So with a generous donation of beer crates from Joys Place Te Awamutu, Dave Tasker was able to get to work creating.
First I needed a Coffin, so Icreated that but pulling apart the beer creates and re assembling together with screws, and hinges, in such a way that I can be folded and flat packed so it can be travelled with easily when touring. This was a challenge, but with some thinking and some power tools, I made it happen.
I was lucky enough to originally see a workshoped version of this show at PANNZ earlier this year, and it was here that I could see what this show needed to lift the design. In the original coffin, there was blue LED Christmas lights. While they were lice to look at, they were very bright, and lacked life.
With the assistance of AI to write my code, I was able to create an effect, with a variety of shades of blues that moved and breathed and faded in and out, to give the LEDs movement, Life, and some control. Attaching a Potentiometer to the processor and having it embedded in the code, I was able to have it control the brightness of the LEDs and the speed in which the processor makes them fade in and out, giving Kristyl full control while she performs.
Next I created two Pou, to represent the Pou that you would find either side of the Marae. These are culturally significant and pieces that Krystal uses for hiding other props inside, so they needed to be hollow, but also functional. She also requested lights on these also. Ie used the same code as the coffin here, so we had continuity, but without the potentiometer, so that these were just always turned on during the production.
I also created similar to the Pou, a water station used by the audience members to cleanse their hands as they exit the venue. This is culturally significant also and another request that was part of the project brief. I Incorporated artificial ferns and plants, to give this some point of difference to the Pou, as well as making it slightly smaller. This also held a small bowl that is embellished to make things look beautiful and ornate. LEDs also are incorporated into this piece.
Next was requested that we have a line up of Shoes for the front of the Wharenui. So with much thought, shoes were selected, to represent different ages, genders and characters, and they were mounted to a board frame that was built and painted.
Lastly I created 2 large custom carry bags out of Black Vinyl especially so that all these pieces can be broken down, packed and toured easily, in a vehicle, or onto a plane to fly to the South Island or Internationally.
I wish them all the success on their tour, and we look forward to working with them again in the future, on their next production.
