In Papua New Guinea, theatre has never been just about performance. It is a collective space for reflection, learning and engagement.
Grounded in Indigenous storytelling traditions, theatre brings together the physical and spiritual worlds, creating room for moral reflection, guidance and meaningful dialogue.
Here's five things to know about Theatre in PNG according to Evangeline Kove, who is the Founder of Resilient Peers and Rodney Kove, the Founder of Kove Theater business.
1. Theatre is a platform for education
Theatre has long functioned as a classroom without walls and formal instructors. Performances communicate moral, civic and cultural lessons. Through storytelling, symbolism and shared experience, learning becomes communal rather than individual, fixed in dialogue, observation and collective memory.
2. Theatre creates safe spaces for ethical, social and political dialogue
Theatre offers a culturally grounded space where difficult conversations can unfold without fear or confrontation. By using metaphor, character and story, performances allow audiences to engage with sensitive issues in ways that open dialogue rather than silence it.
3. Theatre reflects society at critical moments
Theatre becomes most powerful when it responds to the spirit of its time. For example, The Bully Beef Club theatre production emerged at a moment when many Papua New Guineans were questioning the nation’s path. Concerns about leadership integrity, governance and long-term vision weighed heavily on the national psyche, and theatre provided a mirror through which society can examine itself honestly and collectively.
4. Theatre presents truth in a digestible and relational form
Rather than offering direct critique, theatre reveals truth through layered metaphors, symbolism and ancestral dialogue. Meaning unfolds across generations, connecting past, present and future. This approach aligns with Melanesian ways of knowing, where wisdom is shared through story and relationship rather than instruction.
5. Theatre inspires reflection and action
Beyond awareness, theatre motivates change. By engaging emotions, memory and moral responsibility, performances encourage audiences to reflect on their role in society and imagine alternative futures. In this way, theatre becomes not only a space for reflection, but a catalyst for actionable change.
