Helen Pearse-Otene
Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuri, Ngāti Ruanui
about Helen
Helen Pearse-Otene MA, PhD is a registered, practicing psychologist, theatre practitioner, veterans advocate, and researcher. Her work as a writer and facilitator has formed the heart of Te Rākau Theatre's creative work since 1999.
A compelling and eloquent writer, Helen's profoundly well-researched plays weave history and imagination to tell stories that are integral to the fabric of Aotearoa culture and society.
Helen is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington, Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, and Massey University where she gained her PhD in Psychology in 2022.
Helen engages with Aotearoa’s bicultural history and our place in the world through a unique blend of captivating characters, gripping narratives, emotional pathos and witty humour.
Critics have called her work “mythical, magical – and majestic." They have found her writing “exquisite”, “uncompromising”, “stirring”, “richly textured, insightful, humorous, sobering and energising." Helen’s plays in performance have consistently garnered standing ovations and ‘must-see’ status.
