Last Man Standing is a double bill dance programme featuring two original works - Tangata and I Just Want To Make You Proud - choreographed by ‘Isope 'Akau'ola and collaborators (Andre Busby, Peni Fakaua, Netane Taukiuvea and Lara Chuo). This performance continues the journey from Isope's solo show, Bunga’s Paradise, which celebrated the migrant dream. Now, Last Man Standing delves into the personal utopias and dystopias of those born from that dream.
Tangata unfolds in a garage filled with plastic chairs, empty bottles, and a lone foldable table. The celebratory drink, like every Friday night, has seeped into the dawn of Saturday. As the men surrender their control to alcohol, their facades fall away, and they begin to nurture the most sunken parts of themselves. Tangata explores how Pasifika men choose to exist and relate with one another.
I Just Want To Make You Proud is an endurance-based contemporary dance exploring two individuals navigating guilt and the aftermath of sacrifice. Inspired by ‘Isope's own relationship with his partner, both children of immigrants, the piece reflects their inherited sense of guilt from witnessing sacrifices made for their well-being. It delves into how guilt and sacrifice manifest within their bodies, relationship, and expectations of each other.
