PROUDLY ASIAN THEATRE & HAND PULLED COLLECTIVE CO-PRODUCTION

PORK AND POLL TAXES

by Talia Pua

“新⾦山 San Gam Saan, New Gold Mountain - it makes you believe gold simply sprouts up from the ground ready to be harvested.”

1891, New Gold Mountain.

Jiu Choy pays the £10 poll tax to bring his only son, Kam Loi, to Aotearoa, New Gold Mountain. This is the moment Kam Loi has been waiting for, and he is determined to bring back home a fortune for his family. But, Jiu Choy has other plans...

1891, China.

Jiu Choy’s mother, Ah Ma, clings to the promise of her son's return. His daughter, Yuk Chun, waits in dread for the return of her betrothed. And his wife, Shui Ching, fights to hold her family together as she keeps his plan a secret, scared of what might happen if the truth came out...

Unlike the name suggests, gold does not sprout up from the ground ready to be harvested. With increasing turmoil and civil unrest back home, and mounting racial tensions in New Gold Mountain, can the family achieve the better life they are fighting for?

Pork and Poll Taxes 人頭猪税 is a timeless and captivating theatrical experience. 

Presented by Proudly Asian Theatre and Hand Pulled Collective.

This production is supported by Creative New Zealand, Auckland Live, Auckland Unlimited, and the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust.