A classic Shakespeare play is getting a unique Maori twist when it opens at Auckland's Pop-up Globe theatre tonight.
The new version of comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, will feature Maori folklore and te reo weaved seamlessly into the Elizabethan era.
Actor Reuben Butler plays Puck in the play. He told TVNZ1's Te Karere about the new Maori face-lift it received.
"It's definitely something that a lot of people are saying we're glad to see that, it adds something new.
"And it's good to see those characters portrayed as Maori people, it works so well so it's awesome," Butler said.
The Kiwi actor believes the Maori twist means Shakespeare's work will be accessible to a bigger group of people.
"I don't think it's something that's been done that much in terms of delivering the message in a different way, so that it reaches a wider range of people.
"And I'd say that's a big drive to have Maori in there," he said.
Butler isn't the lone Maori of the cast, Te Kohe Tuhaka is the associate director, and Maori designer extraordinaire Shona Tawhiao also has a role.
The Auckland Pop-up Globe's Shakespeare summer season , featuring five different plays, kicks off tonight, and runs until march 2018.
SHARE ME