Isaac Martyn – He Māori?

What does it mean to reclaim Māoritanga

from a Pākehā upbringing? That’s the premise of Isaac Martyn’s (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) show He Māori?, which weaves together elements of stand-up comedy, waiata and theatrical performance to explore the complicated nature of identity informed by Martyn’s own dual Māori and Pākehā lineage.

This play by a talented playwright from an exciting new generation, has had successful seasons in Wellington and Auckland. He Māori ? is for anyone who ever doubted if they were ‘Māori enough’, for rangatahi who are curious to know more about their whakapapa but don’t know where to start, and for anyone wanting to see a highly entertaining hour of comedy and theatre.

“It feels like a crashing wave. It feels like a waiata. It feels like a “kia ora!” He Māori? is a warm hug to the Māori souls who have been raised Pākehā because of colonisation and its lingering scars.” – Art Murmurs