by Eli Cairns

Opeti Vaka’s I LOVE MY MUM is a heartfelt love letter to mums everywhere.

Setting out to take a steady, cheery, and almost-all-encompassing trip down memory lane, a relaxed demeanor and a couple misdemeanors lead Vaka’s reflection on his life growing up with a sometimes struggling but always supportive mum. I LOVE MY MUM is almost entirely made up of interwoven personal anecdotes, and Vaka spends an easy, laugh-filled hour describing a headstrong, compassionate, intelligent woman, who above all else, was full of love for her kids (even when they drove her round the bend).

Between light-hearted jabs and cheesy childhood stories, Vaka guides his audience through a lifetime of loving his mum, growing up between cultures, and a few snippets of hindsight that come from now having children of his own — whom he assures us are much better behaved than he ever was. He laments his childhood struggles, such as feeling too Māori for Tongans and too Tongan for Māori, having his mum be mistaken for his lawyer, and worst of all, being sent to bring in the washing on rainy days. The strengths of this show come from Vaka’s ability to turn specificity universal; his stories are vulnerable and at times gritty, but they hinge perfectly on the warm fuzzies Vaka elicits, digging through some of his worst moments to show off his mum’s bests.

Vaka is a welcoming performer, a warm stage presence and a lively storyteller. He’s entirely ready to laugh at himself along with the audience, cheerful about his own hardships but with a relatable edge of self-deprecation and a cheeky twinge of guilt at putting his poor mum through the wringer. Between making ends meet, dealing with vastly different divorced parenting techniques, and a few tea-based fiery emergencies, Vaka maintains his mum’s dedication to her kids, her education, and her career. He celebrates her wins and laughs through any losses, and encourages us all to take a moment to remember exactly why we love our mums too… or our aunties, partners, nans, great-nans, all the rest. I LOVE MY MUM does exactly what it sets out to, and it’s a perfect fit for anyone looking to treat their beloved mum to a show of truth and hilarity all wrapped up in one.

Opeti Vaka loves his mum, and now so do we ❤️

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I may be quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show. Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though