Polytoxic and Arts House
13 May 2009
North Melbourne Town Hall
Polytoxic’s collection of cheesy Teuila Postcards finds the satire in a glorious trip to picturesque, idyllic Samoa.
Created and performed by Brisbane-based Efeso Fa’anana, Lisa Fa’alafi and Leah Shelton (Polytoxic), combine Polynesian, contemporary and street dance with a sketch show style of intelligent comedy.
As we jump on board our bargain holiday to Samoa (or anywhere in the South Pacific or, for that matter, anywhere out of our social/cultural comfort zone), Teuila Postcards dazzles us with its gorgeousness and gently reveals the subtle (and not so subtle) racism that island visitors bring with them.
Of course, no one in the audience would ever judge, laugh at or criticise someone for their difference – unless they’re from Tonga. As Melbournians crave Sydney jokes and Australians rib the Kiwis, Samoans love a good Tonga joke – and so do we. Even if we don’t get the inherent cultural subtleties of these jokes, we love to laugh along with them, because we all like an inclusive giggle about difference. Yep, Polytoxic make their point very well.
For all its delightful colour and quirk, this trip explores issues beyond the standard western-tourist fascination with islands, such as being a Fa’fafine (Samoan male, who has been brought up and behaves like a woman) or a white islander. At times, the content is a bit obvious, but the unexpected is never far away, and the performers’ appeal smoothes any rough edges.
This review originally appeared on AussieTheatre.com.
