The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate - The Musical. Premier 2025

'The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate – The Musical' is the next best interactive pirate musical from Aotearoa. After 2 years of development and sell our seasons we are seeking further funding to put the wind in our sails and be financially ship-shape for the shows official Premiere.

"lively, rowdy, upbeat, energetic...master composer and lyricist Nino Raphael has created catchy tunes with words that roll off the tongue" ~ Regional News

"It makes sense to me that this famous work should be to translated into sea shanties and a musical adventure. After all, (…) “The way stories usually go, they start with a song”, and we can’t help singing along!” ~ Theatreview

“Had Raphael been captain of the Titanic, the ship would probably have reached shore.” ~ British Theatre Guide

Helmed by playwright, composer, performer & conductor Nino Raphael, we’re currently holding auditions for the last remaining roles in the production. As such, our full cast and crew will be announced at a later date.

The production will be directed by Sara Brodie, a staple of the Pōneke theatre and opera scenes, and is being produced by Jackson Cordery.

We’re grateful to the Performing Arts Foundation of Wellington for partially funding the presentation of this work at a low cost to the young and young-at-heart of Wellington. We really believe in keeping the show accessible as possible, and that’s where this Boosted campaign comes in. If those who can support the show with a donation all pitch in, it means we can minimise the financial burden on ticket buyers come December. Ticket prices are set at $15 for children and $40 for adults.

To put things into perspective, reaching our $6000 goal will roughly cover our marketing budget, allowing us to get the work out to tamariki and their families across Wellington. We’re hoping to welcome upward of 1000 audience members aboard; you could think of that as a $6 subsidy of each ticket!

Reaching our stretch goal of $7000 would give us the funds to rebuild the venue seating into pirate ship configuration, and $8000 would allow us to put it all back at the end of our season (we want to be respectful venue-hiring pirates after all!)

Thank ye for reading, matey, and for considering a contribution to help this piratical adventure come alive on stage

'The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate – The Musical' is a brand-new musical theatre voyage, with songs and sea-shanties crafted by Te Whanganu-a-tara’s own Nino Raphael. Inspired by Margaret Mahy’s much-loved children’s tale and authorised by the author’s estate, this rollicking production breathes new wind and adventure into one of Aotearoa’s favourite stories.

After charting two sell-out development seasons at the 2024 New Zealand Fringe Festival and Two/Fifty Seven in 2025, 'The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate – The Musical' is ready to drop anchor for its official premiere in December 2025 at the Hannah Playhouse.

“A perfect treat for kids who want an evening of joyous pirate-y entertainment. This is a show that deserves to be seen at festivals across the world.” ~Wellyott

Our project is the premiere season of a new performing arts work that we have developed in the Wellington Region throughout two previous successful testing seasons. The process behind this project is iterative, and we mean to use this funding to present the newly polished debut season. Our team has taken the original source material and crafted a new experience, building on the familiarity of the much-loved children’s book and presenting a fresh live narrative. We have expanded on the original themes of defying expectations, choosing your own path, and embracing family, and we hope to engage a much wider audience. 

The Margaret Mahy estate has endorsed our project and described this as an essential next step in the legacy of this Kiwi classic. Margaret’s daughter, Bridget Mahy, insists that our productions further the philosophical ethos established by her mother’s original work. Additionally, our music and libretto are all original works influenced by trends of successful musical theatre. Soft childlike melodies and passionate sea shanties evoke pentatonic scales that are accessible yet effective. Our production is a total rework inspired by the lessons of the past and the techniques of the present.