Poster for Sunset Road showing a woman and a man wearing motocycle helmet, with a road in the backgroundLucia and Luka are twins, living in Rotorua. They can’t wait to turn 21 and leave town for a different life. Their Mum and Dad brought them to New Zealand from the Cook Islands. Rotorua is their different life. Mum and Dad have expectations and dreams for their children. But as they get closer to a significant milestone in the twins’ life, the secret that they have been holding all these years weighs more and more heavily on Dad. The secret has to be told.

This is a complex, layered script which references family dynamics, ancestors, myth, responsibilities and expectations. I felt I was only seeing the surface, not really understanding the underlying meanings yet aware they were there. The choreography in the play (by Ta’i Paitai) supports the script, overtly when required but also in a few beautifully subtle movements which I feel highlighted relationships between characters. The dialogue between the parents (Tina Cross and Rob Ringiao Lloyd) reflects a poetic way of speaking, Cook Islands Maori translated into English. The banter between the twins (Aroha White and Nathan Mudge) is more casual. Their physical interaction shows the intimacy of twins. The moment when the secret is revealed is shocking and real.

An intriguing new work from Tawata Productions.

Sunset Road on at Circa Two to 7 July 2012.