Following sold-out success, Pork and Poll Taxes returns to the stage in a bold new production.
Proudly Asian Theatre, Hand Pulled Collective, and Auckland Live present the 2026 season of Pork and Poll Taxes by Talia Pua on 16-19 September at Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre.
A moving tribute to those affected by the Poll Tax, and by divisive, racist immigration policies, Pork and Poll Taxes is a resounding success”
- Theatre Scenes
Five years after its sold-out premiere, Pork and Poll Taxes returns to Tāmaki Makaurau at Herald Theatre redeveloped as an epic new production with a new creative team, design, and an ambitious vision for one of Aotearoa’s most overlooked histories.
Written by Talia Pua, this new production expands the original work in both scale and ambition, drawing on the emotional weight of Greek tragedy while remaining grounded in the lived experiences of those affected by the poll tax. Pork and Poll Taxes is a play inspired by the Chinese history of Aotearoa; bringing to life stories of migration, resilience, belonging, changing family dynamics, and the racism that remains absent from NZ’s mainstream historical narrative.
2026 season director, Chye-Ling Huang (Camp Be Better, Orientation) says: “This season, Talia’s characters fall down the chasm – going full tragedy in her reworked script. Whilst holding on to the depth and realism of this stain on Aotearoa’s history, we move to a timeless, brutalist design as we find ourselves back in the same cycle. The urgency and brutality in our current timeline is deeply felt within this remount. We are terrifyingly subject to forces outside our control; seismic political shifts that can determine our success or demise in a heartbeat.
Each character is pushed further past their limits than ever before. There is a desperate, fearless, almost mad energy that runs through the play matched by Talia herself, pushing her own comfort zones in both writing and performance this season. I’m excited for audiences to meet a new version of an already vital work in Aotearoa’s canon.”
Huang’s boundary-pushing direction and Pua’s redeveloped script take this return to a landmark theatrical scale for Proudly Asian Theatre and Hand Pulled Collective; while retaining the intimate family story at its heart.
1891, New Gold Mountain. Jiu Choy impulsively decides to immigrate to Aotearoa to escape the pressures back home and start a new life with his wife, Shui Ching. What begins as an idealistic dream quickly spirals out of control when Shui Ching sends their only son, Kam Loi, in her place. This triggers a chain of events that pits family member against family member as they fight for what they each believe is the ‘better life’.
Jiu Choy’s obsession, Shui Ching’s stubbornness, and Kam Loi’s desperation to please threaten to shatter the family apart. However, greater societal and political powers are at play, which will ultimately determine the fate of this family.
A brand new cast of five Asian performers bring this play to life: Talia Pua (Taniwha, The Valentina), Xiao Hu (Far North, Homebound), Nikita 雅涵 Tu-Bryant (Far North, TIDE WAITS FOR NO MAN), Dennis Zhang 张全 (Far North, Ms. X), and, a poll tax descendant, Darren Young (The Gone, Smoky).
Pork and Poll Taxes’ return season will be designed by Jane Hakaraia (Tiri - Te Araroa, Every Kind of Weather), Matt Gates (Genuine & Stable, Let It Die) Paul Bennett (PINAY, Dance Plant Collective), Connor Magatogia (WET, Mic Drop) and Nikita 雅涵 Tu-Bryant (KITA), Rico Blanco (The Reconciliation Dinner, Nana Rosa) and choreographed by wushu-contemporary dancer Yin-Chi Lee (This Room is an Island, White Blood).
Pork and Poll Taxes plays:
Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre
September 16th to 19th
Book via Ticketmaster
Suitable for ages 14+
Presented by Proudly Asian Theatre, Hand Pulled Collective, and Auckland Live.
The production is proudly supported by Foundation North, Auckland Council, Creative New Zealand, Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust, and HomeCooked.
