Mitch Tawhi Thomas (

Ngāti Maniapoto Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi (tribe) based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the ...

) is a New Zealand playwright, actor and drama teacher.

Education

Thomas affiliates to

. Thomas graduated from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School in 1997 with a Diploma in Acting.

Career

Tawhi Thomas is principally a playwright although he has also appeared in a number of plays as an actor to critical acclaim. Shakespearean roles he has played include 'Cobweb' in ''Midsummers Nights Dream'' directed by David O'Donnell at the Dell, Wellington Botanic Gardens in 1991, and 'John of Gaunt' in ''King Richard II'' directed by David O'Donnell and Rachel Lenart at Studio 77, Victoria University of Wellington in 2009. In 2010 Mitch worked at

Centrepoint Theatre Centrepoint Theatre is a theatre and theatre company in Palmerston North in New Zealand. Established in 1973, the theatre has employed more than 2500 actors and produced more New Zealand plays than any other theatre. History The theatre open ...

in Palmerston North, running drama workshops with teenagers in the Basement Company over five months writing a play with them called ''Smashed''. In 2021, Mitch is the Senior Acting Tutor at Toi Whakaari. He appeared at the

Auckland Writers Festival Auckland Writers Festival Waituhi o Tāmaki is the largest annual literary festival in Aotearoa New Zealand since 1999. It has about 200 public events each year featuring local and international writers as guests. History and staff The inaug ...

in 2018. Tawhi Thomas's play from 2001 ''Have Car Will Travel'' depicts "the collision of white trash with brown trash" according to director Rachel House. Tawhi Thomas was appointed writer in residence at

Waikato University , mottoeng = For The People , established = 1964; years ago , endowment = (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $263.6 million (31 December 2020) , chancellor = Sir Anand Satyanand, GNZM, QSO, KStJ , vice_chancellor = Neil Quigley , city ...

in 2003. ''Jangle'' (2010) had in the cast musician Jhan Lindsay. Critic John Smythe described the play as a "bizarre black comedy", and ''Pakaru'' (2019) is described as a "poignant tragedy about our hard-working, hilarious whānau".

Awards

In 2001 Thomas received The Absolutely Positively Outstanding New New Zealand Play of the Year at the

Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards The Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards were the main theatre awards in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, from 1992–2014, and have been succeeded by the Wellington Theatre Awards. Established in 1992 and sponsored by law firm Chapman Tripp, ...

for his thriller ''Have Car Will Travel''. This play also won Best Director for Rachel House in the Chapman Trip Theatre Awards and the ''New Zealand Listener'' awards. In 2002 he was awarded the

Bruce Mason Playwriting Award The Bruce Mason Playwriting Award is an annual award that recognises the work of an outstanding emerging New Zealand playwright. The winner is decided by the votes of a panel of leading New Zealand artistic directors and script advisors. The ...

. Thomas won the Adam New Zealand Play Award in 2012 for ''Hui''. ''Hui'' premiered with

Silo Theatre Silo Theatre is a theatre production company based in Auckland, and was established in 1997. Background Silo Theatre started out as a 'boutique underground theatre' in a venue off Queen Street in central Auckland in 1997. Silo moved out in 2 ...

at the

Auckland Arts Festival Formerly known as Auckland Festival, Auckland Arts Festival or is an annual arts and cultural festival held in Auckland, New Zealand. The Festival features works from New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and beyond, including world premieres of new wor ...

in 2013. His play ''Pakaru'' won five awards at the 2019

Wellington Theatre Awards The Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai / Wellington Theatre Awards are the main theatre awards in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington established in 2015 after the previous awards sponsor ended their support. They are awarded annually. The prev ...

. It premiered at the Kia Mau Festival in 2019. ''Pakaru'' also won the Adam New Zealand Play Award, making Thomas was the first playwright to win the award twice. Both ''Hui'' and ''Pakaru'' also won Best Play by a Māori Playwright.

Published works

* ''Have Car Will Travel'' (Wellington: Tawata, 2010)

References

External links

Interview with Lynn Freeman
Radio New Zealand, after winning the 2019 Adam New Zealand Play Award. *
The Imaginary Lives of Jim Pōneke
', by Tina Makareti, told by Mitch Tawhi Thomas. Via Radio New Zealand. Living people Year of birth missing (living people) New Zealand dramatists and playwrights New Zealand actors Ngāti Maniapoto people Toi Whakaari alumni {{theat-bio-stub