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This premiere production of the Samoan comedy Angels is the lively outcome of collaboration between The Operate Trust's commitment to new writing, The Court Theatre's commitment to fresh theatre experience and above all, it draws on talent and real-life inspiration that has fuelled the ground breaking Pacific Underground company for almost two decades.

With such a background, it was to be expected that the production would be an interesting one. In the event, Robert Gilbert's resourceful production goes further. It finds a voice of its own for Pasifika women and leaves us with food for thought as well as remembered laughter.

The story is set as preparations for a 30th birthday party are gathering momentum in a mum's bright living room, whose décor speaks of faith and family. Set into the walls are cupboards of various shapes and sizes, which as they are opened, trigger memory sequences to establish a wider world where family, friends, the Church and music are woven together , sometimes frayed but ultimately rock solid.

The structure of the play raises the problem of frequent transitions as the action passes from present to past, so that two story strands can proceed. The cupboard solution works well to introduce the shifts, but is initially a little puzzling as the characters themselves change so little. Not until the highly entertaining rendering of a remembered White Sunday do things really fall into place for me, but as the season progresses in the compact venue of The Forge (I saw the preview season at Aranui) the arrangement may become clearer.

As always, it is the characters themselves who engage our fullest attention and there is no shortage of vigorous talent in this production. A pair of cousins lies at the centre of events: showbiz singer Stevie, and Sing, who is raising a daughter, Maia. It is conveyed in all its turbulence by ebullient Sela Leavasa (Stevie) and the versatile Bronwyn Turei (Sing), who has the widest emotional distance of all to cover.

They are supported strongly by Joy Vaele and Cassie Baker as friends forever, Ave Sua playing all the male roles and Monique Togiaso as Maia (this role will also be played by Josephine Mavaega).

Their collective work is full of colour and musicality, for the girls form a band as an escape from the strict regime of Church and patriarchy. There is room for light and shade in the performances at this stage, with the full-on impact of highly charged playing not quite aligned to the shifts of time and fortune we are asked to embrace.

That being said, the work has appealing warmth and the overriding theme of loyalty and love is transparently played.

Perhaps the most important feature of the play is the voice it brings to our stage, setting out a world in terms we can see and feel. In these terms certainly, the production will be seen as a significant event. 
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