This is an exper­i­ment­al spoken word/poetry event. James Nokise explores Cap­tain James Cook’s voy­age through the Pacific. It’s presen­ted from sev­er­al dif­fer­ent points of view – Cook, his wife, an out­side nar­rat­or. Some of the pieces are funny. Some are more reflect­ive. Some, I think, are sup­posed to be funny, but we don’t laugh. There’s a strange echo about the words that’s more than the echo in the space. Some­thing about the way poetry lights the dark beha­viour that lies behind the descrip­tions; that shows sev­er­al lay­ers of mean­ing. Like­wise some of the more affect­ing pieces don’t get applause. We’ve been emo­tion­ally moved and it feels inap­pro­pri­ate to break the spell. There are also poems by Pacific women inter­spersed through Nokise’s poems and reflec­tions. I hear hisses of excite­ment from the audi­ence at their names and resolve to look them up.

This is a koha test show­ing of a piece in devel­op­ment. A gentle yet firm remind­er that col­on­isa­tion is alive right now and it’s more com­plic­ated than brown and white.

Please note:  1 Clyde Quay Wharf is a warm and dusty ven­ue. Bring water & appro­pri­ate meds. Bring some cash for the hat after the show. Get there early for a seat (oth­er­wise you can sit on the floor or stand at the back.)