Māui Unmasked

Preview - due for release Term 4, 2024

A Musical in two acts, 10 scenes: Music and Lyrics by Dr David McMillan. 

Synopsis 

The year is 2050. Scientific and medical advances have extended the average human life expectancy to almost 150 years. As a result, the earth’s population has ballooned to 15 billion people. Robots and AI now do most of the work.

The world leaders have decreed that the benefits of human knowledge must be spread throughout the universe. But because the expedition will take 2 light years (40,000 earth years) all travellers will be cryogenically frozen for the one way journey. Uncertainty about the impact on memory in this process, means that all ‘relevant’ human knowledge must be collected, collated, and stored for the journey.

Lady Sarah is the leader of a ‘five-person’ (actually all androids except Nan) evaluation Panel. They have the power to briefly bring back to life legendary figures and storytellers so that they can account for their contribution to the humanity. The Panel decide which stories, legends etc will ‘pass’ the test.

When Māui appears before the Panel, a clash of cultures ensues as his world changing actions are judged and evaluated by a Panel that abhors his cavalier exploits as he recounts the legends of:

·         Fishing up Te Ika-a-Māui (the North Island of Aotearoa),

·         Slowing down Te Rā (the sun),

·         Finding the source of fire, and

·         Attempting to defy Hine-nui-te-Po (the goddess of death)

The Panel announce their verdict to remove Māui’s legends not only from the knowledge bank but all earthly knowledge as well. It looks like that is the end of The Legends of Māui, but the mischief maker has one last trick to play.

Scenes and Musical Numbers: 

ACT ONE 

1. The Story So Far: Our Stories Define Us (Panel & The Legends) 

2. The Kumara Patch: The Kumara Never Speaks of its Own Sweetness (Māui & The Kumara Blues)  

3. Fishing Up Te Ika-a-Māui: Go Big or Go Home (Māui & his brothers, Ngā Kaihao Ika– fishermen) 

4. Exercise Time: Dystopian Marathon (The Free Range Humans)

5. Longer Days: Slow Down the Sun (Māui and his brothers)

ACT TWO 

6. Stop Digging: Keep your Underpants Clean(Karen & the Panel, Safety 'Police"

7. G.O.A.T. A Little Mischief (Martha and the Mischief Makers)

8. Weto ngā ahi: When the Fires go out (Māui & The Fire Dancers)) 

9. The Ultimate Prize: Live Forever (Māui & The Rainbow Dancers) 

10. The Verdict: You’re Not the Boss of Me (Everyone).  

Principals (14): 

Māui, Muri-rangi Whenua (narrator), Mahuika (Narrator), Ruaki (Muri-rangi Whenua's dog), Lady Sarah Snuffleton-Penny-Fairweather (Panel Chairperson), Lord Mortimer Suffleton-Penny-Fairweather (Panel member), Rupert Marsh (Panel member), Karen McSweeney (Panel member), Nan Tuckett (Panel member), Māui’s brothers(4 )Māui-taha, Māui-roto, Māui -pae, Māui-waho , Martha Mischief, Hina (Māui's sister)

Supporting Principals (4): 

Goddess of Death (Hine nui te Po), Te Rā (The Sun), ANDY01 (Android).

Others - small achools script only (2) 

Sam (Free Range Human), Robin Hood (Speaking Legend)

Chorus/ensemble (9 groups (preferably 10+ in each group- minimum of 3)) 

The Legends, The Kumara Blues, Ngā Kaihao Ika, Free Range Humans, Sun Tamers, Safety 'Police', Mischief Makers, Fire Dancers, Rainbow Dancers.

Orchestration 

Backing tracks.