Standing Room Only for Sunday 20 June 2021

12:16  Maisie Chilton and the healing power of art

Using art to help people who've suffered mental or physical trauma - that's the ambition of Wellington based visual artist and poet Maisie Chilton.

She knows full well the power of art to heal.

Maisie has cerebral palsy and PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder, following a sexual assault.  But creating her own art has helped her through some tough times, including facing repressed trauma.

Maisie is one of this year's young artists who've been shoulder-tapped by the Arts Foundation.  She was offered a Springboard Award, that includes being mentored by an alumni - in her case visual artist Julia Morrison.

And she is about to unveil an exhibition called Where Does It Hurt?

Lynn Freeman asked her if writing and painting have always gone hand in hand for her?

Maisie Chilton's exhibition Where does it hurt? opens on the 3rd of July at Toi Pōneke Gallery in Wellington.

 

12:34  National Concerto Competition - finally!

Two young cellists and a violinist vying to win New Zealand's National Concerto Competition had to wait a frustrating extra three months to compete in the big finale due to the Covid-19 outbreak in March..

But last night they took to the stage at Christchurch's James Hay Theatre, and earlier today Lynn Freeman spoke to the winner and one of the judges, Roger Brown. 

 

12:45  Composer John Gibson

Composer John Gibson has set himself a pretty big task - conveying the power and dominance of the Catholic Church in Renaissance Europe through sound and music.

Rather than relying on existing sound effects for the Auckland Theatre Company's upcoming production of Berthold Brecht's The Life of Galileo, John's been out recording bells and the Auckland Town Hall Pipe organ himself.

He's also asked his friend, Clean guitarist David Kilgour, to come up with riff to play over a 1610 mass.

Having composed the soundscape, John Gibson has taken it a step further.  He's going to convert the ASB Waterfront Theatre into surround sound so the audience feels like it's in a cathedral.

For more than 3 decades John's been composing for theatre, dance, TV and also film  - most recently for upcoming NZ feature Coming Home in the Dark.

Lynn Freeman asks John what attracted him to sound design and composition.

The Life of Galileo opens at the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Auckland on Tuesday.

 

1:10 At The Movies

 

This week Simon Morris reviews In the Heights, Percy vs Goliath and The Hitman's wife's bodyguard.

 

1:31  Writing Aotearoa's early colonial history

The ill-fated attempt by Nelson colonists to confront Te Rauparaha and a party of his warriors in 1843 - a fatal dispute now known as "The Wairau Affray" - is being portrayed in a new stage play.

Justin Eade has consulted with the Ngati Toa Rangatira Iwi during the two years he's been researching and writing the script.

He says it's a hugely important event in Aotearoa's early colonial history - the first major armed clash between Maori and Pakeha over land in New Zealand.

At the same time, Justin has just finished a post-apocalyptic action/thriller feature film called Northspur. 

Lynn Freeman talks to Justin about The Wairau Affray:

The play has its 'world premiere' in the Wairau on the 24th of June at the ASB Theatre Marlborough before heading to Whakatu-Nelson in early July.

 

1:48  Voice teacher Kirstie O'Sullivan

An actor's voice is as important - if not more so - than their look when it comes to casting.

Film makers have more options than stage - for example  the voices of many of the Bond girls in the first 007 films were re-dubbed by German-born British actress Nikki van der Zyl - even Dr No's Ursula Andress.

But that's the extreme - actors need to not only have appealing and versatile voices, they also need stamina.

All these skills are taught by Kirstie O'Sullivan,  the former Head of Voice for The Actors' Program in Auckland who now has her own business called The Voice Practice..

She's taking a workshop for aspiring performers who'd like to learn techniques to improve their voices.

The Actor's Voice is one of four winter workshops that Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School is organising, with other training offered in writing, acting and directing.

Kirstie tells Lynn Freeman that the hardest thing for many is being able to listen to their own voice without flinching.

Voice trainer Kirstie O'Sullivan's workshop The Actor's Voice is on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of July at Te Whaea in Wellington. 

 

2:06 The Laugh Track - animator Julian Stokoe

The Vloggingtons is an animated series that pops up on HeiHei - TVNZ's On Demand children's streaming service.

It follows the exploits of four kids who turn their lives into epic video productions.  These days vlogging is huge, and The Vloggingtons holds a mirror up to the YouTube generation.

Which is all very interesting, but the reason it's on the Laugh Track is who creator Julian Stokoe has taken on board as voices and writers - Jackie Van Beek, Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore, Brynley Stent, Guy Montgomery...  these are New Zealand comedy royalty.

Julian Stokoe's our guest on the Laugh Track - and his picks include John Shuttleworth,  Alan Partridge, Adam Buxton and his daughter, Ricky Gervais, and the series Garth Marenghi.

 

2:25  Lucy Mulgan's interactive opera

Little Red Riding Hood reimagined as an interactive opera for children...

That's what UK-based Kiwi composer, Lucy Mulgan, has created for Orchestra Wellington and New Zealand Opera.

RED! is set in the New Zealand bush and addresses some big issues children face, including how to handle bullying.

Around 400 primary school children will sing alongside New Zealand opera royalty including bass baritone Jonathan Lemalu as Woolfie in the production that premieres this week in Wellington.

Lucy would have loved to have been at the premiere.  But she's working with a community-based puppet theatre company in the UK where, very gradually, the performing arts scene is coming alive after the UK's extended pandemic lockdown.

Lynn Freeman asks her about writing an opera specifically for an age group that isn't the traditional target audience.

RED! premieres on Thursday at the Wellington Opera House.

 

2:36  Flash Fiction author Michelle Elvy

A New Zealand champion of flash fiction - ultra short stories - has just published what's described as a hybrid of small fictions and poetry called 'the other side of better'.

In Michelle Elvy's collection, a character called the Fuddy Duddy Editor shares her advice on writing throughout the 140 plus poems and prose.

The launch in Dunedin on Friday coincided with the official opening of 2021 National Flash Fiction Day celebrations around the country.   It's the event's 10th anniversary.

Lynn Freeman talks to Michelle about this uusual mixture.

the other side of better by Michelle Elvy is published by Ad Hoc Fiction.

 

2:48  James and Tui - more than five minutes of fame

Remember their names....James Kereama Stent  and Tui Tahere-Katene performed together recently on Māori Television's new talent show 5 Minutes of Fame.

Not only did the Kapiti based friends who are just 15, perform as a duet, they also competed individually in the Teen section.

Even before their TV appearances they became a social media hit after singing at an ANZAC Day concert

They are performing at Wellington's Matariki celebrations in July.

Lynn Freeman asks James and Tui how it all began, how five minutes of fame has affected them.

3:06 Drama at 3 -  Matthew goes to Montreal by Toby Manhire

Today's Classic Drama is described as "a meditation on death, quality-of-life, and relationships"  It's features Mick Rose.