MERCH
UNITING COMMUNITIES AGAINST COVID
Over the summer holidays, Tofiga teamed up with South Seas Healthcare to help them roll out two very important campaigns as part of their COVID-19 relief effort. The ‘Taking it to the Street’ initiative brought vaccination vans to South Auckland neighbourhoods creating easier access for many families. And the ‘Fa’afetai Festival - 7 days of Thanks’, a lively event filled with music, food and laughter, was hosted by Tofiga to thank local communities and frontline workers for their efforts in response to the pandemic, as well as to offer some much needed relief for families after lockdown.
ABOUT TOFIGA
THE HUMBLE KING OF COMEDY
Wellington born Samoan, Tofiga Fepulea’i, has graced screens and stages across New Zealand and beyond for more than 20 years with his unique brand of Pacific Island-style humour. An entertainer through and through, audiences have had the pleasure of experiencing his standup comedic genius, acting, musicianship, MCing and his lesser-known yet very profound gift for motivational speaking. Tofiga first rose to stardom in 2003 as one half of the now-iconic duo, The Laughing Samoans, alongside Etuati Ete. For over a decade, the pair performed sold out shows across Australasia, the Pacific and the US with unprecedented success.
More recently, Tofiga has been involved in many successful solo and collaborative projects including recurring roles on Fresh TV and Coconet TV, appearances on The Insider’s Guide to Happiness, and a Maori television series Hamu & Tofiga. He has also performed a number of sold out stand-up shows such as ‘I Gant Belive It’ and ‘Sorry Bout It’. In 2019 he was cast in the lead role for the movie Take Home Pay -in which critics aptly dubbed him the ‘King of Comedy’. Tofiga further proved that title when he was programmed for the first time at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in 2021 and – thanks to the support from his fans and audiences – became the highest-selling comic at the 2021 festival, and one of the highest-grossing local comics in the festival’s history. Tofiga’s inspirations are drawn from his old-school upbringing in Samoa, his experiences as a Pacific Islander in New Zealand, and also, his transition into fatherhood with three young teenage sons.
OUTREACH
SUPPORTING Communities
Tofiga’s involvement in community initiatives is where his heart truly lies. Some of his recent projects include contributions to the Ministry of Development Pacific Staff Fono and working with Te Hiringa Hauora’s Measles Immunisation promotion. Teaming up with James Nokise, the pair co-created and starred in the well received “What’s A Samoan?” as part of a community theatre storytelling project. Tofiga was also a featured guest at the annual ‘Open Heaven’ national collective church prayer event and assisted the Village Community Services Trust with their 2021 Chritsmas food parcel drive.
Having spent over 12 years as a youth worker, “encouraging future generations into performing arts” is one of Tofiga’s lifelong commitments and the reason he frequently lends his talents to performing arts classes in local schools supporting budding Pasifika artists. During the school holidays, Tofiga and his team at 3 Sons have run wellbeing and mentoring programmes for teenage Pasifika boys called “O a’u lea” (this is me). This work aims to tackle themes of identity, language, culture, mental health and relationships.
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