It is billed as a ‘Development Season’ and clearly a lot has changed since the press release (23rd November, 2015). Then it was being ‘devised’ by a team of 13 with director Sasha Gibb and the premise was this:
“Meeting the in-laws for the first time is always a nerve racking experience! Especially if those in-laws are Samoan! Need a guide? Samoan 101 takes a modern look at the awkward and beautiful experience of getting your ins with the in-laws!”

Now called Samoa 101, Saufoi Tua Fa’avale – one of the actors in devising team – has been credited as the script writer. The premise is that, having been asked to ‘mind-map’ their country of origin, the assignment for a class of schoolboys is to further research the traditions and culture of their given country then present something in performance. A palagi boy with no family apart from his grandmother teams up with his Samoan mate whose life is replete with a mum, dad, sister and traditional cultural practices. What follows remains an “awkward and beautiful experience”. 

The show ends with a request to the audience to freely offer their feedback. I check they’d like mine in the form of a review – so here it is.

Intriguingly Samoa 101 starts with the pale, skinny, palagi boy, Michael Plane (Leo Maggs), entering the Whitireia performance space wearing a lava-lava, sitting cross-legged and offering a desultory attempt at Sasa. Awkward. He scarpers and the stage – furnished only with wooden chairs – is invaded by schoolboys: Laurent (Dylan Fa’atui) with Indian heritage and a rather manic smile, cheeky joker Peter (John Ulu) and ever-studious Drake (Jeremy Davis).  

As their teacher, Mr Paul Davis (Matthew Düssler), sets the assignment, the two central characters – Michael Plane and Sonny Va’alele (Saufoi Tua Fa’avale) – arrive late, get into the usual trouble and are paired up. While the teacher is more stereotype than archetype, the classroom scene does dynamically establish the characters and set up the objectives that will drive the action.

Michael’s ‘Gammy’ is limited to calling for the cat, Henry, hanging out washing and caring for her orphaned grandson. Pernille Osborne makes her kind and gentle but resorts to the cliché of bending over and shuffling. I recommend taking another look at the seniors in the world around us.

The Samoan family reflects the archetypes established by The Naked Samoans, (Skitz spin-off), The Semisis and Bro Town. While the parents have no names or depth of character, Mum (Kasiano Mita) rules the roost, counterpointing her deep-felt love for her family and Michael with dire threats, and Dad (Julien Lemeka Nehemia) offers support when demanded then nods off in his chair.

Elisapeta (Seruia Pou), known as Peta, clearly has more to offer than her traditional role in the family allows and this frustration feeds well into the constant and very authentic sniping between her and Sonny.

Saufoi Tua Fa’avale and Leo Maggs find good depth and dimension in Sonny and Michael respectively, negotiating the changing nature of their relationship – not least in relation to Peta’s reciprocated friendliness towards Michael – with a truth that commands our empathy. The naturalism of the exchanges between the three young characters is especially impressive.

A hymn sung in four-part harmony by the Va’alele family is exquisite and the brief glimpses of the Sasa being practised by the boys, and Sonny’s highly accomplished moves (Taualuga?), whet our appetite for more. The poetry of these sequences contrasts splendidly with the prosaic elements of their lives.

A major conflict between Sonny and Michael stops the plot playing out predictably as the time for the cultural presentation approaches. Drake and Peter, whose country is Africa, lead a spirited Gumboot Dance, which originated in the mines of South Africa.*

Despite Mum (“I will always be your Mum. And Dad.”) helping Sonny to see the error of his ways, Michael attempts his Sasa alone – returning us to where the play started: awkward … until an ace drummer (Sonny’s Dad) the the other boys – including Sonny – join in.

Laurent’s lyrical Bollywood-style Indian dance is relegated to leading into the curtain call. My recommendation would be to start the ‘show-within-the-show’ with Michael’s under-par effort from which (as at the start) he escapes in ignominy; then the Gumboot Dance, then the Indian Dance which cross-fades into a resolution scene between Sonny and Michael …

This could lead into Sonny’s stirring ‘what culture is about’ speech (family, identity, acceptance, honour, respect ….) and culminate in the Samoan dance, led by Sonny and Michael, as the triumphant finale.  

All the ingredients are here. More cultural context as part of the presentation for each dance could enrich the play and add entertainment value. The story behind the Gumboot Dance, for example, is fascinating. That plus the aforementioned more character-building and restructuring for a stronger ending will allow Samoa 101 to take pride of place in Jandals Inc’s growing repertoire.

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