Fenn Gordon moved from New Zealand to Australia in 2007 to join Performing Lines as the producer responsible for international projects. In late 2017 she returned to independent practice in the contemporary performing arts sector with her own company Tandem, working between Australia and New Zealand specialising in strategic development, producing and international touring.
From 2009 – 2011 she was the Director, Market Development for the Australia Council for the Arts, responsible for implementing strategies to develop markets for Australian artists and organisations nationally and internationally. She has worked as both a producer and a strategic advisor with many of New Zealand and Australia’s leading artists, including the Flight of the Conchords, Taika Waititi, Miranda Harcourt, Hone Kouka, Tim Balme, New Zealand String Quartet, Modern Maori Quartet, William Yang, Gavin Webber and Grayson Millwood (The Farm), Gravity & Other Myths, Roslyn Oades, ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, BlakDance Nicola Gunn, Kristina Chan, Nat Randall and Anna Breckon, and S. Shakthidharan
Following a 20-year career as an independent producer in New Zealand, Fenn Gordon moved to Australia in 2007 to join Performing Lines as the producer responsible for international projects. In late 2017 she returned to independent practice in the contemporary performing arts sector with her own company Tandem, working between Australia and New Zealand specialising in strategic development, producing and international touring.
From 2009 – 2011 she was the Director, Market Development for the Australia Council for the Arts, responsible for implementing strategies to develop markets for Australian artists and organisations nationally and internationally.
She has worked as both a producer and a strategic advisor with many of New Zealand and Australia’s leading artists, touring their work extensively both nationally and internationally. Artists she has worked with include the Flight of the Conchords, Taika Waititi, Miranda Harcourt, Hone Kouka, Tim Balme, New Zealand String Quartet, Modern Maori Quartet, William Yang, Gavin Webber and Grayson Millwood (The Farm), Gravity & Other Myths, Roslyn Oades, ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, BlakDance, Nicola Gunn, Kristina Chan, Nat Randall & Anna Breckon, and S. Shakthidharan.
She has written and taught extensively about the performing arts, including developing and delivering market development workshops in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Taiwan; is a founding member of the Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) and of the Asian Producers Platform (APP). She is the author of The Touring Manual (CNZ 2003; revised 2007).
Organisation/Company
Name: Tandem
My Role: Executive Producer (Fenn Gordon)
Tandem operates between Australia and New Zealand specialising in strategic development, producing and international touring for contemporary performing artists.
The Haka Party Incident
Artform: Theatre (Verbatim)
Development Status: Tour Ready
Media Uploads
Trailer
Full Length
Synopsis
The last New Zealand war took place in Auckland in 1979. It lasted three minutes.
There’s a long, rich history of Māori resistance in New Zealand but, for every Bastion Point or Ihumātao that makes headlines, other incidents quickly fade into the mists of history.
The Haka Party Incident resurrects the eventful day when a group of University of Auckland engineering students rehearsing their annual tradition of a mock haka are confronted by the activist group, He Taua.
The incident sent ripples through the nation and changed race relations in New Zealand forever.
Crafted by film-maker and theatre director Katie Wolfe (The Mooncake and the Kumara, Waru, He Māngai Wāhine, Artefact), The Haka Party Incidentis verbatim theatre that innovatively combines documentary and kapa haka to thrilling effect.
Provocative, resonant and unforgettable, The Haka Party Incident is a not-to-be-missed theatre event
Creative Team and Crew
Writer & Director Katie Wolfe
Assistant Director Whetu Silver
Kapa Haka Director Nikau Balme
Set Design John Verryt
Lighting Design Jo Kilgour
Composition & Sound Design Kingsley Spargo
Costume Design Alison Reid
Performers:
Roimata Fox, Nī Dekkers-Reihana, Lauren Gibson, Richard Te Are, Patrick Tafa, Aidan O’Malley, Jarred Blakiston
Touring Party
• 7 x actors
• 1 x stage manager
• 1 x LX/AV operator
• 1 x SFX operator
• 1 x Tour Manager/Manaaki
• 1 x Driver/Mechanist
plus Director
Number of People in the Touring Party
13
Previous Seasons
30 March – 10 April 2021 Auckland Theatre Company Premiere season, Auckland, New Zealand
Reviews and Quotes
NZ Herald| Ethan Sills | 06 April 2021 |"
…the relatively young ensemble never falters, effortlessly moving through distinct characters in the blink of an eye, and powerfully evoking the pain and conflict experienced by all sides.…a prime example of theatre's power to inform, educate and enlighten audiences as well as entertain… ATC's one misstep here is scheduling The Haka Party Incident for only a short two-week run. From the rousing first haka to the sombre closing moments, The Haka Party Incident is an innovative, brilliant piece of theatre all New Zealanders need to see..
Theatreview | John Smythe | 03 April 2021 |
“The standing ovation that greets the opening night of The Haka Party Incident celebrates the birth of a dynamically presented theatrical taonga…. Front and centre of The Haka Party Incident, bringing the mahi of many to dynamic fruition, is the tireless performing ensemble who rise to the wero laid down by Wolfe as writer and director with inspiring energy and focus.This production is a gift that every New Zealander deserves to enjoy.”
Technical Rider & International Touring Info (if applicable)
- View/download document #1 here
The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) Arts Market is New Zealand's premiere event for artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders from across the performing arts sector.
The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) Arts Market is New Zealand's premiere event for artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders from across the performing arts sector.
The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) Arts Market is New Zealand's premiere event for artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders from across the performing arts sector.
The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand (PANNZ) Arts Market is New Zealand's premiere event for artists, producers, presenters and industry leaders from across the performing arts sector.