Following a sold-out Australian premiere at the Sydney Opera House, and captivating audiences around the world, Riverside presents the award-winning UPU, returning with an Australian tour beginning in Parramatta at Riverside Live at PHIVE this August.
With powerful poetry, compelling storytelling and unforgettable performances, UPU brings the ocean’s rich voices to life – exploring cultural struggle, joy and identity across the islands through poems as broad and deep as the Pacific Ocean itself.
Curated by award-winning poet Grace Iwashita-Taylor and led by powerhouse director Fasitua Amosa, the theatrical work consists of the upu (meaning ‘words’) from 23 poets including international activists to acclaimed literary figures.
Spanning five decades and over a dozen cultures across Te Moana nui a Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean), UPU weaves a rich tapestry of stories, experiences and perspectives from across the region, reflecting on cultural identity, history and the challenges faced by Pacific communities.
“Pure magic happens when poetry is lifted off the page and performed – there’s a connection that anchors these stories straight into the souls of our audience,” said Artistic Director and Co-Creator of UPU Collective, Fasitua Amosa.
“The word upu exists in many different languages of the Pacific Islands, so we are thrilled to return to the thriving Pasifika diaspora across the Tasman Sea during our Australian tour.”
The show’s energy comes alive through an extraordinary cast of Aotearoa’s finest Pacific talent, Maiava Nathaniel Lees, Mia Blake, Fasitua Amosa, Nicola Kāwana, Shadon Meredith and Ana Corbett, each with a rich background in theatre, film and television, whose passionate delivery of these words will transport you across the ocean.
The work has sold-out seasons at Kia Mau Indigenous Festival in Aotearoa New Zealand, opened and headlined the FITU Festival in Mexico City, and was the first Pacific theatre work selected for official programming at the CINARS Biennale in Montréal. Parramatta opens the 2026 Australian tour, bringing the work to Western Sydney audiences, one of Australia’s largest and most diverse Pacific communities.
UPU
Riverside Live at PHIVE – 5 Parramatta Square, Parramatta
Performances: Friday 28 & Saturday 29 August 2026
Information and Bookings: www.riversideparramatta.com.au
Robert Blackwood Hall – Monash University, Clayton
Performance: Friday 4 September 2026
Information and Bookings: www.mpac.monash.edu
Wyndham Cultural Centre, 177 Watton Street, Werribee
Performance: Saturday 5 September 2026
Information and Bookings: www.wyndham.vic.gov.au
Image: UPU – photo by Daniel Boud