Dame Gillian Whitehead 2019 Photo: © 2019 National Library Imaging Services, Department of Internal Affairs
The true story of Rotorua soldier Captain Roger Dansey is being brought to life in Wellington Opera's performance Mate Ururoa.
Written by acclaimed New Zealand composer Dame Gillian Whitehead, it tells the true story of Roger Ingram Te Kepa Dansey, engineer and Māori All Black, who enlisted when Britain declared war on Germany in 1914 and was one of the five hundred strong "Native Contingent".
The Opera's title comes from a whakataukī, a proverb that was used by Roger Dansey and his family. 'Kaua e mate wheke me mate ururoa' 'Do not die like an Octopus, die like a Hammerhead shark.'
Whitehead wrote the libretto in te reo Māori and English for US-based Māori baritone David Tahere, who plays Roger Dansey.
Speaking to Nine to Noon, Whitehead said the opera is the story of an extraordinary man but it also conveyed the history of Māori in battle and how for a longtime there was no possibility of a Māori contingent serving in World War One.
"They managed to get this together, [the] contingent goes away and then it all falls apart, because of Roger Dansey's prowess in battle and his ability to save his people by going against the commands. So, it's a possibility also to explore how Māori saw battle, it's the chiefs who led, they didn't lead from behind."
David Tahere said the Opera covers Dansey's entire life, up to and beyond his heroism at Gallipoli where he disobeyed orders that would have meant certain death for the men under his command.
"He was ordered by his commanding officers to take his contingent and serve as cannon fodder and he said no, and that's what got him court martialled. So. in the Opera there is a moment where his commanding officer asks him what he has to say for what he did and Dansey launches into this, not tirade but defence of why he made those choices and it moves between te reo Māori and English," Tahere said.
"He says to his commanding officer 'you lead from behind, we lead from the front and it's a lot easier for you to order people to their deaths as opposed to go to yours. But I would take your men, I would lead them up that mountain, I'm not afraid, but I will not put my men in that position.'"
Tahere said his whānau are closely tied to the Dansey whānau not by blood but through many bonds of friendship.
"My great Uncle served in Company A, the Company that Dansey was [in command of], so that was what led me to research more of his life and then as I started researching who the current day whānau were, my Auntie knew them quite well, my Uncles worked with them down in Otago and so it was this kind of unpacking lots of familial connections."
Whitehead said when bringing an opera to life you start with the text, which was then sent to the Dansey whānau for comment.
"If you've got your own text it means you can make easy changes, you don't have to have a World War Three with a librettist."
Whitehead said it's right to have the whānau support and many of the whānau will be there for the opening.
Director Sara Brodie said the opera was originally supposed to premiere in 2021 at New York's Carnegie Hall - but this was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Instead the world premiere will be in Wellington this weekend at Hannah Playhouse, where it will run for three performances from July 11th to 13th.
"So many projects have been put aside, are not happening and it's just wonderful to finally bring this story to light and to the stage, and to come together this is the first time we've all been together in the flesh."
Brodie said speaking with RNZ's Kathryn Ryan was the first time she, Whitehead and Tahere had all been together in the same room.
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