Nana Maria has seen the orange dove. It is a sign from her late husband that they will soon be together again, so in honour of this momentous event she orders her grandchildren to prepare a large feast. It will be in the style of an Italian tomato sauce commercial, complete with trestle tables in the garden, the priest from across the road and lots of tomatoes. The reason behind the feast at No. 2 is to pick a 'successor' from among her grandchildren. 
      It's 4am and the grandchildren can think of many things they'd rather be doing than preparing Nana's feast. Their parents, the 'useless generation', aren't invited; Nana only wants her grandchildren around her, laughing, singing and fighting. As the day gets under way an enormous amount of food is prepared, the girls are in the kitchen, the boys working in the yard. Drunkenness, squabbles, and karaoke ensue as the day goes on, all climaxing at the feast itself in the 'naming' of the person who is to take over No2. 
      The part of Nana, her six grandchildren, Father Francis and Maria (an English girl with Fijian blood), are all played by the exceptionally talented Madeline Sami. Throughout the performance the individualisation of each character was so skilled that it felt as if there were actually more than one person on the stage at the same time. The production is set in a Fijian family household in Auckland yet its nature resonates in all family situations of this type. Each character reminds you of someone you know. Toa Fraser's writing, which was aimed at being performed by Madeline has a fluidity that keeps you guessing; however without the extraordinary Madeline, this production may not have been so successful. The fight scene is particularly enchanting to watch as Madeline plays both sides of the fight and manages to pull off a little karaoke in the middle. 
      Overall this was immensely pleasurable to watch, looking into a family's private life, its trials, tribulations and the celebrations of just being together.
Elizabeth Shenton