Reviewed by Juliet Neill – 8/10/99
Watea – performed by the inmates of Christchurch Women’s Prison
Directed by Jim Moriarty in conjunction with the Christchurch International Festival of the Arts, at Christchurch Women’s Prison, Templeton, 22 July to 8 August 1999.
July 27th was a snarling winter’s night. Numerous people left their cars on the prison driveway and battled their way to the gate beneath the anonymity of winter padding. Somehow this seemed a fitting preparation for a show which, while not easy to watch, was deeply moving.
The audience was ushered through a cold hallway through lines of performers who chanted, then assembled together as a chorus to perform waiata and songs, so that we were immediately involved, our involvement being further encouraged by theatre-in-the-round.
The subject matter could very well have been handled indulgently, but was delivered with artistry and restraint. Performers delivered gruelling anecdotes from their lives in an almost matter-of-fact manner while other cast members reflected the emotional content as a choreographed chorus. One tale after another of violence and abuse of all kinds was related and then from inflicted abuse we moved on to self abuse and to the crime that followed.
The end result was not a feeling of hopelessness, but one of immense privilege at having had a glimpse of some of the most cathartic moments of these women’s lives, and of some of the insights they offered in the follow-up discussion.
Personal storytelling, if well directed, is always excellent therapy for those involved. Obviously the process of devising this work had been therapeutic for these women. As they said, it was the first time many of them had been able to confront their pain and have it heard and acknowledged. However, the performance had moved well beyond therapy in its delivery. It had become a controlled, visual piece of theatre with the power to undermine any stereotyping audience members may have been guilty of.
Society increasingly seems to be demanding harsh retribution for criminals and longer sentences. Soon we shall be asked, perhaps, to respond to a referendum suggesting the return of hard labour in our prisons. Watea delivered a clear message that retribution is not a solution to criminal behaviour. Changes in behaviour come from learning to own one’s life story and one’s crimes. This happens more rarely in the punitive environment that society is advocating, but it can be fostered in the sort of environment that allows events like Watea to happen.
In the development of Watea Jim Moriarty and others have used the sort of dramatic process that should be used a lot more in schools – a process which affirms and validates the experiences of its participants. It is unfortunate that the bombardment of educational directives that schools are receiving is forcing dramatic expression to be come increasingly achievement based, allowing less and less time for process. Drama as a process deserves more championing. Besides which, there is no other way one could arrive at an end product such as Watea with its honesty and power. All credit to Jim Moriarty and those who worked with him, not to mention the courage of the women involved.
Source: New Zealand’s theatre and dance monthly – Theatre News, October 1999, page 10. Available by subscription, NZ$25 per annum ($35 for overseas subscriptions) from TN, 34 Panorama Road, Sumner, Christchurch 8008, New Zealand.
If you are interested in the views of Cecelia Lashlie, Manager of the Christchurch Women’s Prison, you may wish to read this article: Community Responsibilities In Relation To Prisons.