SHOW INFORMATION
MARLON WILLIAMS : Te Whare Tīwekaweka Tour
Marlon Williams (Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai) is about to release his first Māori language album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka, (out April 4) and today (26 February), also announces a 11-date album tour of Aotearoa. Performing with his long-time band The Yarra Benders as well as some special appearances from some of the album’s collaborators, Marlon Williams will bring Te Whare Tīwekaweka to life across the main stages in our most illustrious theatre venues.
In another first, Marlon will make his debut headline appearance at Tāmaki Makauru’s Spark Arena this Matariki in what promises to be a sparkling and spectacular arena show.
Today also marks the release of the second single from Te Whare Tīwekaweka, Kāhore He Manu E.
“‘Kāhore He Manu E’ was one of those gentle labours. It played itself out to me, easily and near complete from the first. It was also obvious who should be singing it; Ella’s voice in a very real sense wrote the song. The distinct and striking characteristics in her voice cornering and demanding of the melody and phrasing what only her voice could. Singing with Ella is incredible; the amount of mind she’s able to pour into the vessel. We got to know each other through sharing the highs and lows of touring life, and in a real sense this song is an ode to the colourful but grim wormhole of road life, to the friends made and lost in the folds of time, ‘visions lost in the blur.’” – Marlon Williams
“Over the course of several years I watched Marlon pull at the threads that became Te Whare Tīwekaweka. I saw that the further he got into the album, the deeper my friend came to know himself, his whānau and his world at large. Marlon is an undercover perfectionist, and he was never going to embark on this journey without turning over every stone, crafting complex waiata that speak to the past while also braiding in his characteristic humour and X-ray vision. Singing with Marlon is one of my favourite things to do on earth, whether we are tipsy backstage by a pool table or in a luscious studio, and I was honoured he asked me to sing with him on this album. I’m so proud of my friend.” – Lorde
Supported by long-time touring band The Yarra Benders, co-producer Mark Perkins (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), the He Waka Kōtuia singers and featuring the collaboration with Lorde, the album is a collection at once contemporary and timeless, traversing Marlon’s familiar folk-country-bluegrass territory, while continuing his exploration of poppier waters and the inherent rhythms of Māori music.
Opening all shows throughout Aotearoa is Marlon’s dear friend KOMMI. KOMMI (Kāi Tahu, Te-Āti-Awa) is a non-binary solo music artist, recording and performance collaborator, writer, poet, and a lecturer in Māori and Indigenous Studies and Te Reo Māori at the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University.
They also teach reo Māori within the community of Ōhinehou/Lyttelton and throughout Ōtautahi. They have just completed the recording of ‘TAUWHENUA’, a collborative Witch-Hop, Swamp Hop, Experimental Hip-hop Reo EP with producer Infectiouss (Zac Harding). KOMMI regularly composes reo Māori waiata with various NZ musicians including Troy Kingi (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), Delaney Davidson and more recently the significant collaboration with Marlon on Te Whare Tīwekaweka.
MARLON WILLIAMS ONLINE – WEBSITE
TICKET PRICING
THURSDAY 26 JUNE 2025, 7.30PM
CODED PRESALE: NOW EXPIRED
GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE: WEDNESDAY 5 MARCH, 12.00PM
NOHONGA KONUKAWATA: $89.90 + booking fees
NOHONGA KOURA: $79.90 booking fees
NOHONGA HIRIWA: $69.90 + booking fees
OUR TERMS & CONDITIONS
Refer our Terms & Conditions
Tickets
House Information
Seating Plan
Accessibility
Taxis can drop off and pick up patrons from outside these doors and we can order a taxi for you after the show. There are accessible toilets on the lower level and a roomy lift provides access both to these facilities and to the Stalls seating.
Seats in the Circle are accessed via several flights of stairs so we recommend patrons with mobility difficulties book seats in the Stalls.
We have seven dedicated wheelchair spaces.
We also have opera glasses available for hire for $5 at the Box Office – just ask when you come in. We encourage our patrons to discuss their needs with us so we can ensure they enjoy the show.
Bar Service
Theatre Etiquette
- Please turn off all your electronic devices before you come into the auditorium.
- If you have taken snacks from our bar back to your seat, try not to rustle when the house lights go down.
- If you are late to a show, get comfortable in our bar area until we can turn the house lights back on so you can find your seat.
- Camera flashes occasionally make performers stumble – over their lines or their feet – so we prefer that you don’t use flash (or any other) photography.
- Please keep your feet on the floor – someone counting the beat on the back of your seat can be distracting.
- Dancing in the aisles sounds like fun but it might make our Circle collapse. If you really need to dance (and it’s the right sort of show), please book seats in the Stalls or make your way out to the foyer.
- We encourage you to introduce your children to the arts, but please also teach them to watch and listen quietly and peacefully.
Box Office is also open one hour prior to shows
