Peeling an onion may inflict a few tears as several layers of a raw, white vegetable are revealed.

A powerful, poignant and beautiful work opened on Wednesday night as Massive Company brought the layers of life to the fore, and bared all.

Aside from the simplicities of the average household onion, in a metaphorical sense it does indicate how the complex nature of an individual's life and sub-conscious inner thoughts are more often than not kept well-hidden.

The Brave raised a very raw truth: many young people today live in fear of truly showing themselves up against societal norms and expectations.

Eight handsome, proud young men put their layers into their lines to powerfully command the attention and minds of a packed, buzzing Q Theatre. As they wrote letters to those who have made an impact on their lives each actor explored the journey of what it means to be a man. Divulging in intimacy, pain, love, angst and fear the show brought down the house in laughter, and at times in complete admiration. Details should be left only for those that attend, however the athletic interpretation of the fleeing heart and mind was simply stunning.

Drawing from a multitude of cultures, we were welcomed with words of the Pacific, Maori and English languages. These were complimentary to the interpretative dance and role plays within the performance. Not one to shy from emotion, this intellectually devised work stirred plenty and it was refreshing to see an all male cast on the stage create such reactions.

As Massive Company celebrate 21 years, they deserve due respect from the creative community and beyond and The Brave has cleverly woven eight stories into one to produce a heartfelt must-see work. Go peel back your onion, and book tickets to The Brave to see Massive Company share theirs.

The commendable cast includes: Jonny Moffat (The Chathams - we’re fucking sick of the silence), Todd Emerson (My Wedding & Other Secrets), Beulah Koale (Havoc in the Garden), Scott Cotter (TV3’s Brown Bruthaz) and Dominic Ona-Ariki (Shortland Street) plus newcomers Andy Sani, Leki Jackson Bourke and Neil Amituanai.

By Olivia Young

The Brave is at Q Theatre until 22nd April, before moving to the Mangere Arts Centre 24th -29th April.

Find tickets on the QTheatre website.