For the Love of Spam _{by Madelaine Empson}

CHamoru/Filipina theatremaker Sierra Sevilla, originally from the island of Guam and passionate about shifting immigrant narratives, says the connection between canned meat and colonialism is “so delicious!”

“Spam’s history and how it came to the Pacific, particularly the people of Guam, is directly linked to WWII. The way that Spam is now synonymous with Guamanian cuisine and culture mirrors how Guam has become synonymous with the US military and what I consider to be a form of modern-day colonialism. There's so much to unpack, but at least with Spam, it can be a yummy exploration, too!”

Sevilla is bringing the Aotearoa premiere of For the Love of Spam to the Kia Mau Festival, where it will run at Te Auaha from the 3^rd to the 7^th of June. The multi-sensory, participatory one-woman show was born when the writer and performer married a British man who “doesn’t like Spam”.

“I remember being frustrated that I cared so much. After all, it is just a tin of meat. And after exploring some of my feelings about this issue with my therapist, I just realised how much Spam meant to me, but also how much it reminds me of the US military presence on Guam.”

The project took off when she got her friend Izzy Rabey on board to direct, resulting in “An hour of joy, tears, and enlightening insights” (The Student, Edinburgh). Sevilla hopes that by seeing her story play out – in a fun and playful way – audiences “can relate it to their own lives and the lives of Pacific Islanders around the world”.