DAWN RAIDS Comes to ASB Waterfront Theatre Next Month

Legendary Pasifika theatre collective Pacific Underground revisits Dawn Raids 25 years on, in the wake of the Apology.

Central Auckland. 1973. Fuarosa sleeps with one eye on the front door, in fear of it bursting open. Sione struggles to keep the peace by day and croons Elvis love songs by night. Teresa turns to activism to channel her rage but only her mate Bene hears her. Steve is a policeman, turning his own people out of their homes - even though it turns his stomach. Mose supports the raids and scorns overstayers.

Join Sione and his band, the Noble Hawai'ian Sabretooth Tigers, as they welcome you to the Paradise Honeypot Club where everything is beautiful, until it isn't.

Oscar Kightley's contemporary classic contrasts white-hot anger at the injustice visited upon Pacific People with wit and warmth, and Elvis - lots of Elvis. An unmissable new production of Dawn Raids, given fresh potency by the Apology.

"A searing and raw look at a community under siege from its own government from a shameful time in Aotearoa's history, only now being atoned for." - Jonathan Bielski

A co-production between Auckland Theatre Company and Pacific Underground.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Orchestrations - Top 3

1. Ethan Popp, The Rescues - The Lost Boys

28.7% of votes

2. Lux Pyramid - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

13.7% of votes

3. Anders Eljas, Brian Usifer - Chess

12.8% of votes

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