Standing Room Only for Sunday 26 June 2022

 

12:15 Designer Emma Kingsbury's new interpretation of Cinderella

Film, ballet, television, theatre and opera - Emma Kingsbury has made a name for herself as a designer across them all. Her latest commission is to design a new interpretation of Cinderella for the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company, in a style she describes as Avant Baroque Maximalism. Emma's TV show designs include Blacklight and HBO's Finding Magic Mike, while ballet commission include The Crucible for Scottish Ballet and The Firebird for Texas Ballet. She arrived in New Zealand earlier in the week and joins Lynn to talk about Cinderella, opening at the newly refurbished St James Theatre in Wellington.

12.30 David Mason - composing Maori orchestral sound

Creating a distinctive Māori orchestral sound by integrating the style and colour of traditional Māori music with the vast range of an orchestra, is the goal of award winning composer and sonic artist, David Mason. He's busy working on five new compositions this year as the National Youth Orchestra's Composer in Residence. The orchestra is about to premiere one of them, Wāhi Ngaro. Lynn speaks to David about how he explores the juxtaposition of his Māori heritage with his work as a classical composer. David Mason will be performing at the Michael Fowler Centre on Thursday 7 July, and the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday 9 July. 

12:45 Frocks, divas and celebrating women over 40

After the death of a close friend in 2003, a group of Tauranga based mothers decided to stage an extravaganza to offer women over 40 the chance to express themselves however they damn well please. The inaugural Tarnished Frocks and Divas in 2005 was a relatively modest affair, for one night only to an audience of 180. Fast forward, and audiences now flock to the venue in their thousands, making it a highlight of Tauranga's entertainment calendar. A new documentary Frocks and Divas, follows the production of the 2019 Tarnished Frocks and Divas show from auditions through to the big event. Lynn talks with the film's directors, Paul and Sass Innes.

 

1:05 At the Movies

Simon Morris looks at three films that respond to – or negotiate their way through – popular taste.  There’s a Pixar prequel, a more quirky than usual New Zealand comedy, and a heartfelt tribute to a half-forgotten war poet.

 

 

 

 

1:30 Twin Cultivation 

Two strangers meet at a miniature garden and are invited to dig up a ceramic vegetable or eel, to gift to the other to take home. This is the idea behind Twin Cultivation - a two-week installation created by ceramic artist Cindy Huang 黄馨贤, designer Micheal McCabe and producer Rosabel Tan. It's a work for our times, encouraging people to be kind, gentle and generous with each other. 

1:45 Gracie Matthews 

Gracie Matthews is bringing new life to old clothes. In the latest in our occasional series about people who repair and restore, we focus on the intricacies of repairing often fragile vintage clothing. Gracie Matthews offers a variety of costume and sewing services, her skills honed by nearly 18 years working on costumes for theatre and film.  She’s now based in Clevedon and often travels offering sewing and repair workshops. She tells Lynn about some of the special TLC vintage clothes require to survive the rigors of 21^st century life. 

2:04 The Laugh Track - Tim Hambleton

Tim Hambleton is a Police Prosecutor by day, and playwright by night, and some of his day-job flows into his creative work. Tim was the first civilian Police Prosecutor appointed in NZ in 1997, spent 17 years in Dunedin, and is now doing the same job  in Christchurch. Tim's first play "A Law Unto Themselves", was based on his experience as a lawyer in a small town, was performed by the Invercargill Repertory Society in 2000, and later by the Methven Theatre Company. Since then he's written seven other full-length comedy plays. Tim is Lynn's guest on the Laugh Track, with Blackadder, Yes Prime Minister, Smith and Jones, and Dad's Army among his picks.

2:25 Poet James Brown's treasure trove

Lynn meets Wellington poet James Brown, whose latest collection is called The Tip Shop. It's a treasure trove of surprises and appropriately includes some 'found poems'. The collection also offers glimpses into Jame's life from his time as a nightime supermarket shelf filler, learning how to roll boulders through to a rather long list of musts and must nots. James Brown describes himself as 'a Sunday poet who fell in with the wrong crowd'. 

Warning: Please note there is a reference to suicide in this interview 

 

2:35 Theatre director Ben Crowder on THE WORM

A play about a worm that almost never saw the light of day, is about to premiere in Tamaki Makarau. It comes from the vivid imaginations of father and son Peter and Carl Bland, and it's the latest production by the boundary-pushing NIGHTSONG company. THE WORM is Nightsong's first foray into theatre aimed at families - their previous plays include Mr Redlight, Te Pō, 360, and Head. Ben Crowder is directing THE WORM after securing a cast that includes Dave Fane, whose not long off the TV show Our Flag Means Death. It's a free show, after the company successfully applied to the Local Activation Fund which is administered by Auckland Unlimited. Ben Crowder - THE WORM premieres on the 30th of June at the Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre in Auckland. 

2:50 Time travelling poet, Briar Wood

Briar Wood 

Briar Wood has reimagined the lives of Rongo and Te Rangahau, two 19th century tu puna of her iwi, Ngāpuhi,  in a new collection of time travelling poetry.Rongo was the daughter of leader and warrier Hongi Hika and married another, Hoone Heke. Te Rangahau lived on the Hokianga with her husband, stevedore John Leaf, and cared for their twelve children.  Briar's also a writer of fiction and essays, and now lives in Whangaarei after growing up in South Auckland and working in Britain.  Briar's been shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and her poetry widely published and anthologised. Briar Wood tells Lynn how this collection is very personal. It also stretches across time into today's world with poetry about contemporary Te Tai Tokerau. 

Drama at 3 - The Good Seed on the Land

Today's Classic drama is a light-hearted look at the clash between multi-national corporations and conservationists.
The Good Seed on the Land  by Stephen George Walker.