Name: ration the Queen's veges
Start: 2025-09-07T06:30:00+12:00
End: 2025-09-07T07:20:00+12:00
Location: 1 Taranaki Street, Wellington, New Zealand 6011

Sometimes all you need to inspire change is a piece of gum
Co-written by Te Wehi Ratana and Tainui Tukiwaho
Directed by Tainui Tukiwaho
In December 2023 the group ‘Te Waka Hourua’ set the country alight when they painted over the English Treaty of Waitangi Exhibition at Te Papa to read… ‘No. Her Majesty the Queen of England the alien. ration the Queens veges.’ This ‘redaction action’ provoked strong opinions across Aotearoa – some sang their praises, others called for blood. While all of the artists were charged, only one received prison time: Te Wehi Ratana.
This uplifting new one-man play is inspired by true events, and shares the remarkable experience of the abseiling activist during his 48 hours at Rimutaka Prison.
Ration the Queen’s veges is a story of how one action can inspire change in unlikely places. It is a story about the quiet voice of defiance that still burns within us even when we are silenced – a piece of gum and Brian, Te Wehi’s ingenious cellmate, were all that was needed to fan the flames and hear them roar.