A bold new theatre production led by disabled artists will premiere from 24 to 28 July at Te Pou Theatre in Auckland, offering audiences a glimpse into the complex and often unspoken dynamics between siblings.

Siblings, directed by Pelenakeke Brown and associate director Barnie Duncan, brings together four Māori and Pacific tāngata whaikaha disabled performers in a devised, disability-led work that resists tidy storytelling.

It’s the result of three years of creative development grounded in talanoa (open conversation) and play. The work weaves live performance, movement, sound and visual design into a fragmented but evocative theatrical language.

“The process informs the shape of the show and we are always creating with accessibility as our creative prompt,” Pelenakeke says.

Rather than presenting a traditional plot, Siblings invites audiences into a constellation of shared truths and sensations. It is a work about the roles we inherit or reject within our families, the care we give and receive, and the cosmic forces that bind or separate us.

For anyone who has had a brother or sister – or wished they had – the relationships at the heart of Siblings will feel both familiar and yet surprising.

Focus on what it's like for the sibling with the disability

When disability is part of this dynamic, the experience can become even more layered, Pelenakeke explains. While studies often highlight how siblings of disabled people show greater empathy and responsibility, Siblings shifts the focus to what it is like for the sibling with the disability.

The cast includes Roka Bunyan, Dazz Whippey (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Kiriana Sheree (Ngāpuhi, Tūhoe and Ngāti Porou), and Jordan Kareroa (Ararangi), who have all been involved in shaping the work from the start.

Their lived experiences form the backbone of the piece, which refuses to simplify or explain disability but instead honours its full spectrum within the context of family and whakapapa (genealogy).

Reflecting the lived experience of the cast

“Siblings is a work of fragments and sensation, inviting audiences into a theatrical language that reflects the lived experience of its cast,” Pelenakeke says.

Pelenakeke Brown (Gataivai, Siutu-Salailua) is an award-winning, interdisciplinary artist whose work blends disability theory with Sāmoan cultural ideas. She works between Aotearoa and New York, and her pieces have been presented at places like The New York Public Library for Performing Arts and Gibney Dance. She was recently recognised with a 2024 Wynn Newhouse Award.

Associate director Barnie Duncan brings 25 years of experience across acting, comedy, and directing in both Australia and New Zealand. An earlier work, Ollie Is a Martian (2014), explored his nephew’s experience in “special education” classes and sparked his ongoing interest in collaborating with disabled artists.

Beyond the storytelling, the production team is committed to ensuring everyone can access the work. Performances will include New Zealand Sign Language interpretation and embedded audio description, making the show accessible to Deaf and blind or low-vision audiences.

“It’s created with and for our communities,” says Brown. “Created with deep whanaungatanga, access sits at the centre.”

With its limited five-show season, Siblings promises to be a significant moment for Aotearoa’s performing arts landscape – one that challenges traditional theatre forms and centres the perspectives of disabled artists.

After years of dreaming, devising, laughing, questioning and growing, Pelenakeke and the team are ready to share Siblings with audiences. “This is theatre that resists tidy narratives – a constellation of sensation, memory and care.”

Thanks to Creative New Zealand and Foundation North, and in-kind support from Auckland Council. Also thanks to Flock Charitable Trust for its support in the development season of Siblings. Performances run 24–28 July at Te Pou Theatre in Auckland. Tickets and access information are available from the venue.