Michael James Manaia by John Broughton

First performed 21 years ago, the one-man show looks at the far-reaching impacts of war through the eyes of a New Zealand man who returns from the Vietnam War and finds himself alienated from his culture, country and history.

As he tells his story, it becomes clear his experiences have been shaped by another war: World War II and his father's enduring memories of it. Both Michael James - Mick - and his father have returned home with no visible wounds, but the damage runs deep. One critic described it as "high-octane, ferociously complex and ultimately devastating".

MICHAEL JAMES MANAIA is a gripping, at times hilarious, yet intensely moving one-man drama.  The central character is traumatised by his upbringing, by loss of a sibling and then having to cope with the horrors of the Vietnam War.   In a sand-filled arena, the solo player confronts his audience in an intimate setting…