A Darkly Comic Love Triangle (Plus A Ghost Cow): Prayas Theatre Rewrites Romantic Comedy Rules
Press Release – Prayas Theatre Company
Based in Aotearoa it is a play about love. About guilt. About the very real possibility that the ghost of a cow is a better life coach than any human being you will ever meet.
What if a cow came to haunt you? And helped you find your true love?
Aotearoa’s largest South-Asian theatre company, Prayas Theatre, takes on a wildly ambitious love story, Mama Moo, premiering at TAPAC from 18 – 26 September. The award-winning company is stepping into a new genre, one that sits at the intersection of comedy and absurdist theatre, complete with paranormal elements, live music and a whole lot of heart.
Meet Mr. Siddhant. Widowed butcher. Hopeless romantic. A man who can see and hold meaningful conversations with his dead wife. Now add a second ghost.
After Siddhant slaughters a cow named Mama Moo, she returns with a proposition, to help him win the heart of Sara, New Zealand’s most committed animal rights activist – on one condition: Siddhant must save the life of Mama Moo’s calf, Mercy.
There is also a devil in the mix, which is Sid’s dark side. He has no norms, no qualms.
Mama Moo is a wildly original and offbeat romantic comedy about the world’s most unlikely love triangle, or quadrangle if you count the cow, set against the deliriously chaotic backdrop of animal rights protests, courtroom disasters, a psychiatric diagnosis nobody saw coming and a hostage situation involving a pet dog named Lola.
Based in Aotearoa it is a play about love. About guilt. About the very real possibility that the ghost of a cow is a better life coach than any human being you will ever meet.
“Mama Moo is special to Prayas as it brings together cast and crew from different backgrounds, ethnicities and perspectives; because that is what Auckland looks like now and what our stage should reflect,” says Amit Ohdedar, Prayas Co-Founder, and Co-Producer of the show.
Renowned director Margaret-Mary Hollins, (Massive Theatre, Red Leap, MIXIT, Auckland Theatre Company, Silo Theatre) is at the helm of the production. “Mama Moo allows us to explore humour without losing emotional depth and to push theatrical form in a way that feels fresh for Auckland audiences,” says Hollins.
Featuring a 13-strong cast, Mama Moo is driven by Prayas’ award-winning ensemble (Swabhoomi: Borrowed Earth), with collective storytelling that reinforces its chaotic, multi-layered narrative. A live onstage band further amplifies the production’s absurdist comic energy through music.
Mama Moo comes on the heels of a prestigious milestone, with Prayas receiving the Arts, Culture and Heritage Award for its outstanding contribution to promoting and preserving Indian arts and culture in New Zealand. Presented in July 2026 at the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Awards, organised by The Indian Weekender, the award recognised the volunteer-led theatre company’s sustained cultural impact through community-driven storytelling.
Prayas Theatre has been part of Auckland’s South Asian theatre for over two decades, creating ensemble-driven, community-focused and professional-quality work that bridges cultures and brings new voices to the stage. Earlier works from Prayas Theatre include the much-acclaimed A Fine Balance, Love N Stuff, Dhaba on Devon Avenue, Dara and First World Problems.
Prayas Theatre presents
Mama Moo
21 – 26 September
TAPAC, Auckland
