Seventeen tracks on an old mixtape reveal bittersweet memories of a family’s resilience behind every song.

In a small coastal village in Sri Lanka, Sangeetha’s life is filled with music. Songs are the glue that binds her family together. And she has a crush on the guy at the general store who plays all the latest hits.

But, as the country slips into civil war, they find themselves caught on the wrong side of history. “I had only ever heard the sounds of gunshots in movies,“ she remembers. “This one was different.“

This compelling story sweeps from 1950s’ Sri Lanka to modern-day Aotearoa, where Sangeetha is now living with a son of her own, Deepan. The only remnant of Sangeetha’s past is an old mixtape filled with memories. As Deepan plays the 17 songs one by one – Dusty Springfield, La Bamba, the hit single from a Tamil rom-com – the story of what happened to their family unfolds through the music until its unforgettable conclusion.

Both a love letter to his homeland and a lament, this powerful new work by Ahi Karunaharan is the final chapter in his epic trilogy which began with Tea, continued with The Mourning After and now concludes with a mixtape for maladies.

In collaboration with

“Good music will always stand like a monument on the shore, weathered by the winds of time.”

Ahi Karunaharan அகிலன் கருணாகரன்

Playwright

Jane Yonge

Director

Rachel Marlow

Production Design- Filament Eleven 11

Bradley Gledhill

Production Design - Filament Eleven 11

Padma Akula

Costume Design

Karnan Saba

Music Director

Te Aihe Butler

Sound Design

Ben Fernandez

Musician

Seyorn Arunagirinathan சேயோன் அருணகிரிநாதன்

Musician

Ambika G.K.R.

Sangeetha (older)

Ravikanth Gurunathan

Vishwanathan

Shaan Kesha

Deepan

Gemma-Jayde Naidoo

Sangeetha (younger)

Bala Murali Shingade

Anton & Suthan

Tiahli Martyn

Subbalaxmi

NZSL-Interpreted	by Platform Interpreting NZ Fri 21 Mar 8:00pm
Audio-Described & Touch Tour	by Audio Described Aotearoa Sun 16 Mar 4:00pm
Relaxed Performance	Tue 18 Mar 7:00pm This relaxed performance is a comfortable and inclusive experience which may be especially welcomed by autistic and neurodivergent audience members.

“The play places huge significance on music and memory, and it is amazing to see.”

— Theatre Scenes

Event and Ticketing Details

Duration
1 hour and 50 minutes, no interval

Advisory

Includes themes of war and trauma. Recommended for 12 years and older.

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Creative Learning

a mixtape for maladies is suitable for year levels 11 - 13, with performances for schools on Wed 12 Mar, 11:00am and Thurs 20 Mar, 11:00am. Supporting resources are available for ākonga.

School Matinee Programme

Ways To Save

Pay What You Wish

If you’ve never been to the theatre before, we have one night to give it a go risk-free. It’s first in, best seats, with the performance ticketed as General Admission. Tickets on sale at least 3 weeks before the performance.