Upbeat

Two time Poetry Idol and member of South Auckland Poets Collective Zane Scarborough, slams the spoken word. He’s been busy organizing the first inter- high school poetry slam which encourages youth to… Read more Audio

There’s no business like show business. Just ask playwright Roger Hall who is set to release his latest comedy outing Last Legs 40 years on from his very first play. It’s set at an upmarket retirement… Read more Audio

Accomplished Australian soprano Antoinette Halloran is in New Zealand to play the role of ‘The Worst Pies in London’ maker Mrs Lovett in New Zealand Opera’s Sweeney Todd, which opens next week in… Read more Audio

Rochelle Pese is a year six student from East Porirua who is determined to be a violinist when she grows up. She only started learning the instrument recently from Virtuoso Strings Orchestra teacher… Read more Audio

Dunedin actor Simon O’Connor has the role of a lifetime in his hands - he is Krapp in Samuel Beckett’s favourite play Krapp’s Last Tape. In it a man at the end of his life rekindles his remembered… Read more Audio

Dunedin Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 50^th anniversary with a concert featuring two artists linked with the orchestra's history - pianist Michael Houstoun and former Principle Guest Conductor… Read more Audio

Singer and actor Tim Draxl takes to the stage to tell the story of the brilliant but self-destructive jazz artist Chet Baker in his new show Freeway: The Chet Baker Story. Draxl co-created the show… Read more Audio

The name Frank Zappa doesn’t often associate with classical music, however US based conductor Eckart Preu has been handed the baton to lead the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra’s Appalachian to Zappa … Read more Audio

The Going West Books and Writers Festival celebrates 21 years, with two new people at the helm, including critic and agency creative Mark Easterbrook. He explains how it is important to combine… Read more Audio

In this week’s episode Upbeat producer Zoë George turns the page on poor etiquette at book launches. Unity Books’ Dylan Sherwood explains whether we have to buy the book that is being launched, what… Read more Audio

New Zealand School of Music puts on a show this week featuring its vocal performance students in a mix of classical opera and musicals. Music Director Mark Dorrell used to work in London’s West End… Read more Audio