TŪ (voiceover)

We are one, my brothers and I. They treat me as a man, ha, a man.

I belong, we all belong to the other. This battalion of ours is mighty. They are life. (Beat) Death surrounds daily. Me, Tūboy. Here now. What was that?!! Nothing, be calm, be calm.They accept me, they. As a glove for brother Boydie, it does fit and Philomel greets me, speaks to me. I am a man.

Of course, some people always live within this circle of trust and confidence in their communities.

The props – there was a bell, a hand-held brass bell that was used throughout the show to signify the entrance into the cake-shop where Jess worked behind the counter. During rehearsals, the cast would add the rhythm of the sound of the bell prop until the real one came – it was often a race to chime out ‘ling ling’ as Philomel swung through into the shop for the start of Scene 11. Like the benches, the bell would get moved around a lot as scenes transitioned in and out of each other. At the start of this scene – Aroha White would set herself as Jess within the world of the bakery – two benches stacked atop of one another – adjusting her floured apron – her face would shine with flour as she turned towards the ‘ling ling’ of the door.

Philomel swings through the doorway, to be struck by Jess’s appearance before him.

One development-season performance, the bell was on the floor, not in its usual position next to its assigned bell-ringer. The actor closest to the bell seemingly oblivious to the bulging eyes of the other actors willing him to notice the bell in time to ring-in the impending cue. I’m sure he was perfectly well aware of where the bell was, and that the others were trying to signal him. But if he just waited, seeming to ignore all – there would be a crack-up of bulging eyes flicking across the stage at one another – bulging at him to notice and ring the bell, bulging at that other actor willing them not to call out ‘ling ling’ – that actor bulging back…

Games can be so simple with one another, communication can transmit on a number of frequencies concurrently; pleasure can be this simple. Teasing is fun and you can trust in the path of the teasing – trusting that it will always lead you down a good road, you can trust this – playing it along – whilst listening for the ultimate objective of our focused-time together, being ready to call in the next offer/direction.

Of course the bell was rung on cue, the tension that’d been built-up akin to what you might feel in an exam situation – where you feel excitement bubbling but you’re supposed to be quiet. Our awareness of each other bound tighter and our shifts together sharpened again.

‘Your face!’ – delivered by Philomel to Jess, the first intelligible words we hear from his character to hers, not long after the ‘ling ling’ into the bakery. It is quite a doongy moment – up until then we have witnessed Philomel to be quite formal – the language of the characters of the play already romantic, chivalrous, well spoken, poetic We witness an attraction at this moment, an immediate acknowledgement. This line has been delivered so memorably by all the actors I have had the pleasure of witnessing play Philomel. And from many others – when not even acting. For me – ‘Your face!’: an expression of admiration and appreciation; expressing the awe of and joy inspired by the other. This phrase, a part of my vocabulary, made conscious in a new way, ever-more to be associated with the playfulness of these players.

Me te mihi nui mō ā koutou manaakitanga.