Award-Winning Artist Lisa Fa'alafi Brings Dangerous Goods to Aotearoa

“Every time we come back with work, it just means so much more. Seeing people who look like us in the crowd…it’s incredible.”

Part circus, part drag, part burlesque, and part live concert, Dangerous Goods brings together powerhouse vocals, aerials, theatre and comedy to explore themes of power, resistance, and joy. 

Internationally acclaimed, award-winning Sāmoan-Australian artist, performer and director Lisa Fa’alafi has spent more than 25 years creating bold, boundary-pushing work that has captivated audiences worldwide.

Fresh from a sold-out season at the Edinburgh Fringe, she’s now bringing her latest production, Dangerous Goods, to Auckland’s iconic Civic Theatre as part of the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival. 

For Fa’alafi, though, this is much more than another stop on an international tour.

“It feels like coming home.”

Born in Aotearoa before growing up in Australia, returning with her work always carries extra meaning. 

“Every time we come back with work, it just means so much more. Seeing people who look like us in the crowd…it’s incredible.” 

As Co-Director of Australian performance collective Polytoxic and Director of the award-winning Hot Brown Honey, Fa’alafi has built a career creating visually spectacular productions that blend theatre, cabaret, circus and activism, while inspiring a new generation of Pacific artists. 

But beyond the spectacle, Fa’alafi believes Pacific audiences may discover the world of cabaret more familiar than they realise. 

“Our family shows are like cabaret,” she laughs. 

“There’s a dance, then a song. We’re loud in those spaces where people are performing, and that’s really encouraged in cabaret.”

She believes that same energy has always existed in Pacific communities. 

“It’s also a place for the misfits, the taboo, the queer…all are welcome here.”

 

Pacific audiences will also notice that culture is woven through every layer of the production, from choreography and music to costume and design. 

Coconet got a sneak peek at several numbers from the show, and at one point, Fa’alafi took to the stage in a striking cowgirl-inspired outfit featuring nifo oti and tapa-inspired motifs; details that were instantly recognisable to Pacific eyes. 

Those choices, she says, are entirely intentional and just another way of telling the story. 

“Between myself and my co-director, Leah Shelton, we design all the costumes. Every costume I wear, I want to represent myself in a contemporary fashion, but also have my roots there.” 

 

That same philosophy shapes the show’s creative language. 

Fa’alafi believes the way Dangerous Goods is performed is just as important as what it says. 

“I think culturally, we speak with all parts of our body.” 

“Why must we be one way?” “We believe art has the capacity to shift culture. So we have to use everything..all the tools we can to move people.”

Humour, she says, has always been part of how Pacific communities navigate the world. 

“That’s what’s nice about cabaret. You can have an emotional journey that goes like this,” she laughs, motioning her hands up and down. 

“It doesn’t just have to go in one direction.”

Ultimately, she hopes audiences leave feeling like they have the power to make change - together. 

 

That message has left a lasting impression on fellow performer Kalala Sione. 

The Aotearoa-born singer-songwriter, who is of Sāmoan, Chinese and Fijian heritage, grins as she throws a fist in the air. 

“Ōtara 274 represent!” she laughs. 

Now based in Naarm, Sione still proudly claims her South Auckland roots. She opens Dangerous Goods with a powerhouse performance of Light My Fire, setting the tone for what's to come.

Bringing Dangerous Goods home, she says, has been one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.

"It's so special to bring this show home."

"Last year, we were at Edinburgh Fringe sharing stories about colonisation and reclaiming culture. To bring it home now, for our people to enjoy, is such a privilege and an honour."

The show affected Sione so deeply that she admits she cried through its earliest performances.

"In the beginning, I used to cry performing it. It took me a couple of shows because I just felt the message so deeply."

Now, she channels those emotions into every performance.

"I still feel it every night, but now I focus on communicating it as strongly as possible."

For Sione, music also allows Pacific people to show every side of themselves.

"As Polynesian people, we're not a monolith."

"We can be funny, we can be silly, we can be serious, we can be angry. These songs give us the space to express all of that."

Performing alongside an all-femme and non-binary cast has been just as transformative.

"There's something nourishing for your soul."

"Every day I'm laughing, I'm tired, I'm hurting, but my soul is enriched."

Perhaps the greatest influence, though, has been working alongside Fa'alafi.

Growing emotional, Sione pauses before continuing.

"I'm watching her redefine what it means to be a strong Polynesian woman in this era."

"She's paving the way for me and other young Polynesian women. I'm literally witnessing her legacy in action."

Having recently celebrated her 50th birthday, Fa'alafi says she's reached a point where she simply wants to encourage others to embrace who they are.

"Life is too short not to be your true self. If you've got something to say, go for it."For Fa'alafi, Dangerous Goods is more than a cabaret show. It's a celebration of Pacific storytelling that is bold, joyful and deeply rooted in culture.

Watching Fa'alafi and Sione perform, it quickly becomes clear that Dangerous Goods isn't asking permission to take up space…it simply does.

Dangerous Goods plays at The Civic from 1–5 July as part of the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival. Tickets: aucklandlive.co.nz