Grand Maori entertainment. Tonight! Tonight! Maori poi drills; hakas; waiatas; war dances, etc. 24 performers ...[signed] W H Hipango, chief manager. Brown, Thomson and Co. [printers. Flier. 1894?]

Programme list of 20 items including songs, poi, and other dances, often accompanied by cornet and clarionette. Named performers are: Ngahina, Heka, Potango, Kingi, Koti, Pineaha.

Items include a Grand War Dance (as performed by Major Kemp's followers before fighting against Te Kooti).

See a review of a concert that is probably this one, "A bit of Maoridom", in the Evening Post, 5 December 1894, Page 2. Brown Thomson & Co was a Wellington printer; it is assumed the event was held in Wellington. The review says: "Had many of the public any idea of the interesting bit of Maoridom which has been brought to their doors, there should have been a very much larger attendance than there was at the Theatre Royal last night. For the Wanganui Maori Novelty Company presented a most entertaining programme, and one which was so highly appreciated that nearly every item had to be repeated. And it was an entertainment to which no possible exception could be taken on the grounds of propriety. The ancient Maori dances were wonderfully inspiriting and remarkably interesting, and anyone who has felt tbe ground shake around him under the thunderous beat of hundreds of dancing foot will never lose an opportunity of seeing such a sight once more. The troupe which appeared last evening consists of 24 performers, and the entertainment they gave was one well worth going to see. There were, as might be expected in these degenerate days, many variations from the old dances, but the Maori dancing-master was always an inventor and an adaptor, developing new movements and new combinations; and so it was not surprising to find one of the girls' dances a combination of European waltz step with Maori posing. Of others this could not be said, and we had excellent exhibits of the rhythmic "poi" play, now by one performer (Pineaha), now by the girls, again by the men, and yet again by the whole company. There were various descriptive haka, one very good one being a canoe song and dance. There was a clever imitation of the song of an ancient and decrepit warrior whose martial blood finally rises till he utters defiant challenge, and engages in a battle with an adversary in quite pre-pakeha style. This last item was interpreted by Kingi and Potanga, with great spirit. Potanga, too, was an efficient leader in nearly all the dances. Then there were waiata, there was the very fine song and ceremony of the presentation of food and the welcome to those to whom hospitality is to be tendered, there were performances on the cornet and clarionet by Ngahina and Heka, and as a grand finale a reproduction of the war dance of Major Kemp's Whanganuis before fighting Te Kooti. The performers were clad in white, the men in white singlets and knickerbockers and black stockings, and the girls in white with variously-coloured stockings and boots. The effect would be greatly enhanced by the adoption of Maori costume in lieu of European; while on the other hand the custom of smudging the face which the old warriors used to make them appear more terrible, was not artistically done, and might be abandoned. Another performance is to be given this evening".

Quantity: 1 colour photo-mechanical print(s).

Physical Description: Letterpress 220 x 142 mm.

Alternative form available: Scanned from original