The Tiwhas flaunt Māoritanga on Auckland cabaret stage

Friday, 9 September 2022

Maori drag queen Jthan Morgan is one of three members of The Tiwhas and the self-proclaimed Beyonce of the group.

Move over Whaea Beyonce, The Tiwhas are here to moto (slay) audiences with their wawana (fierce) dance moves and singing – all in te reo Māori.

Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.

The Tiwhas, a Pōneke-based trio of whakawāhine and takatāpui tāne, are making their debut in Auckland for the Auckland Live cabaret season during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.

Bringing Māoritanga and magic to the stage is Jthan Morgan (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata, Magiagi, Sapapāli’l, Lotofaga), Slay West (Tainui) and Raureti Ormond (Ngāti Tūwharetoa).

Their show combines waiata Māori, and costuming and choreography informed by, and a celebration of, te ao Māori and toi Māori.

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Even the harshest critic of theatre folk, Theatreview, knew the show was lit.

Theatreview’s Jo Hodgson described the show as magical, saying it was “beautifully woven together with te reo, poi and kapa haka which embodies the cultural fabric they wear with such pride”.

The Tiwhas, which is Jthan’s transliteration for The Divas, covers disco pop songs and blends them with kapa haka and waiata-ā-ringa.

Jthan pulled together the girl group at the start of 2022, and they are now debuting in Auckland.

Jthan, the “boss” and self-proclaimed “Beyoncé” of the Tiwhas, put the trio together in January this year.

“I want to be in a cover group like the Beatgirls, so I made one,”Jthan said. “It’s more fun to perform with other people.”

Jthan worked with Slay West on the show My Kuia! in 2019, and knew Raureti Ormond through Te Auaha. Ormond is in his second year of the musical theatre course.

Slay West is a full-time drag queen and resident bartender at a queer bar in Wellington. They moved to Wellington about a year ago which was the perfect timing for Jthan to invite them into his girl group.

Jthan says that Ormond, who is 20 years old, helps keep the trio young and fresh.

“It’s so cool to have that point of view in the group.”

Since coming together, they have entertained audiences at the Circa Theatre and the TSB Arena in Wellington.

Jthan found his love for performing through musical theatre training.

“People like me have always existed – takatāpui people – that’s why there’s a word for it,” says Jthan.

“My singing voice sits higher … so I naturally was drawn to all the female roles, so I started there and fell in love with drag itself.”

Jthan made his professional debut on the CubaDupa stage in 2020, that was the first time he drew on a moko kauae and wore a Māori-inspired outfit.

“From then, I was like, this is who she is now.

“When I put it on [moko kauae] I feel complete, but I also know that it’s generally [for people] assigned female at birth.”

Jthan sought permission from his whānau and iwi to wear the kirituhi.

“You know, it’s out of the love that I have for Māori culture and Māori women that I do this.

“In my understanding of Māori history, people like me have always existed – takatāpui people – that’s why there’s a word for it … we’re still existing, and we’re here. The show is basically a party, but it’s also my way of saying, this is my space, and this is who I am.”

“After our season here in Auckland, we’re going to sit down and figure out what is next for us … but we are really just learning of the power that we hold with this kind of show.

“When I’m up on that stage, people listen to me … our power at the moment is entertaining people.”