The feast plays a central part in Maori culture, and it does too in this charming three-hander which tells the stories of the 28th Maori Battalion who fought in Italy during the second world war. It was clearly an army that marched on its stomach even more than most.
Part of the Origins Festival of First Nations, Strange Resting Places may not be sophisticated theatre, but it's a little show with a big heart. It introduces personal tales into the weave of history and makes connections across thousands of miles and many generations.
There are several stories vying for attention here, from the shy Maori soldier billeted with a Neapolitan family who have a beautiful daughter, to a comic interlude about an attempt to steal and spit-roast a pig.
But the main emphasis is on the relationship between a deserter from the Fascist army and a Maori unexpectedly thrown together during the Battle of Monte Cassino. Forced into each other's company, the two men create a fragile friendship based around cooking a goat. Strange Resting Places takes the lost stories of small people caught up in war, and magnifies their tragedies with respect and a smile.
