Set entirely inside a beloved Filipino restaurant in Aotearoa, Kusina is a heartfelt comedy-drama that celebrates Filipino pride, resilience, and the unbreakable spirit of community. 

Marie’s Kusina serves more than food. Within its warm, fragrant walls, lumpia is crispy, embotido tastes of belonging and lives intertwine chaotically. The ensemble cast brings to life the vibrant “barangay” dynamic of the diaspora: the loyal head chef who guards traditional recipes like a sacred heirloom, the ambitious waitstaff dreaming of fame beyond the dining room floor, the pragmatic restaurant owner balancing business with empathy, the ever-present delivery gals who know everyone’s stories, the overqualified yet unemployed culinary graduate who needs a visa sponsor, the regular customers who treat the space as their second living room, and the landlord desperate for market appreciation but not the kind of appreciation you expect.

When a surprise international visitor arrives, hidden tensions surface and identities begin to shift. Estranged family members are forced into the same room, rekindled relationships test pride and forgiveness, and chosen family step in where blood ties have faltered. In this intimate space, we witness the fragility and power of community. 

News and a surprise balikbayan box arrives from the Philippines causing a ripple through their lives in New Zealand. With humor, heartbreak, and shared meals, each character wrestles with what it means to belong.

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Please note, no outside food or beverages are allowed to be brought into the venue. Water is available free of charge!

See more upcoming events at Factory Theatre here!