‘They did it for us.’
Today is Anzac Day, which commemorates the Servicemen and Women from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who have fought for, and lost their lives for us.
I attended Ngakau Toa’s performance of Troilus and Cressida last night, which opened the ‘Globe to Globe’ series of plays performed in 37 World languages. Set across the battlelines of the Trojan War, it provided a poignant precursor to today’s commemoration. The performance concluded with a soliloquoy from Rawiri Paratene’s Panatara (Pandarus), which, in the words of The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish, captured the ‘wry sadness of an old man… reflecting on the timeless spectacle of youthful slaughter.‘
At the end we were treated to a spine-tingling, spontaneous illustration of Maori Spirit. The performers gathered on stage to sing a Waiata, and parts of the crowd including London based Ngati Ranana members joined in. The voices merged, then the two groups exchanged heartfelt, stirring Haka which transcended words to communicate a sense of love, acknowledgment, connection and community.
‘I te tōnga mai o te rā ki te uranga mai o te rangi, ka maumahara tonu tātou.’
At the going down of the sun and at the rising of the dawn, we shall remember them.
