Standing Room Only for Sunday 28 August 2022

12:15  The Lancaster bombers of World War Two

The Second World War has probably inspired more films, plays, novels and documentaries than any other 6-year period in history.

But there's no substitute for the accounts of the people who were there.   Now, with the last participants in their nineties and even older, those first-hand accounts are coming to an end.  

A couple of years ago, the documentary Spitfire told the story of the fighter planes and their pilots who won the Battle of Britain, and inspired the nation to help win the Second World War.

But it was later British planes - the Lancaster bombers - that did much of the heavy lifting, and their story is finally told in Lancaster.  It's likely to be the last eye-witness account to be made about the War.   

Like Spitfire it was co-directed by David Fairhead and Anthony Palmer.  Simon Morris talks with Anthony Palmer on the line from the UK.   Lancaster is released throughout the country on September the 1st.

 

12:37   The Edinburgh Tattoo has a Kiwi accent

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for 2022 has just wrapped up, with New Zealand performers among the fan favourites. 

For the first time in its long history, the Tattoo had to be cancelled over the last two years, so its return was much anticipated.

Kiwi Michael Braithwaite was in charge of making it both honour traditions and move with the times.

Among the crowd inside the grounds of Edinburgh's Castle was RNZ producer Melanie Phipps. Lynn Freeman spoke with her in the closing moments to find out why the Tattoo is still so special?

 

12:47   Can a Royalty Blockchain make resales fairer to the artists?

It's called The Artist's Resale Royalty Blockchain Manifesto - part artwork, part provocation and part legal document.  And it's to be launched in Wellington in October.

The Manifesto is the creation of artist and curator Reuben Friend and neurosurgeon Reuben Johnson.  The aim is to radically transform the contemporary art market, making it fairer to those artists whose work keeps making substantial profits for owners down the track, while offering nothing to the people who actually created it..

If "blockchain" and "non-fungible tokens" are still a bit of a mystery to you, all is about to be revealed, as Reuben explains the Manifesto to Lynn Freeman..

Its release coincides with the Government's recent announcement of a 5% royalty payment, planned to be introduced late next year.   It will go to visual artists or their estates each time their work sells on the re-sale market.  

 

1:10 At The Movies

This week Simon Morris reviews two documentaries - Gloriavale and Quant - and a German docu-drama The Conference.

 

1:31   Actor/Film-maker Ella Gilbert's short film is the latest Someday Story

A very personal film about an out-of-wedlock pregnancy is the first in this year's Someday Stories, a platform that helps emerging filmmakers to create their first professionally-funded, short film project. 

Mary Mary is written and directed by Ella Gilbert, and it will be released tomorrow. 

It's the sixth series of Someday Stories, which has now delivered a total of 36 short films.  The project mentors filmmakers aged between 18 and 29, and helps them tell their own stories.

Ella Gilbert, currently appearing in Circa Theatre's production of Skin Tight in Wellington, talks to Lynn Freeman about why the story of Mary Mary was so important to her.

Ella Gilbert's film Mary Mary is released tomorrow as part of Someday Stories Series 6.   
 

1:45   Chris Tse - our latest Poet Laureate

Surprised, honoured and just a bit intimidated...  That's how our new Poet Laureate Chris Tse feels about his new role.

Given he's only in his thirties, he also sees this acknowledgement as a real boost to his confidence.

Bill Manhire, Jenny Bornholdt, Selina Tusitala Marsh and David Eggleton are among his predecessors.

For the next two years the queer Asian-Kiwi writer will promote poetry and publish more work.

We spoke to Chris earlier this year about his third poetry collection, Super Model Minority.  Lynn Freeman talked to him as he got ready to take part in the Auckland Writers Festival.

 

2:06 The Laugh Track - Rebecca Stubbing and Izzy Renton

Running the risk of sounding like Forrest Gump here, but the great thing about the Auckland Fringe is you have no idea what you're going to get.  

We certainly weren't expecting an improvised stage show based on the Golden Years of Radio - particularly since the group Improverished are unlikely to have been around when the Goons, Flanders and Swann and Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy ruled the airwaves.

Radio Show is launched next month, and Simon Morris welcomes Improverished members Rebecca Stubbing and Izzy Renton to the Laugh Track.

Their picks include Flanders and Swann, The amazing Mrs Maisel and podcasts My brother, my brother and me and The beef and dairy network.     Radio Show is on at the Factory Theatre on Friday Sept 9 and Sat Sept 10 as part of the Auckland Fringe.   

 

2:27   Daisy Speaks prepares to launch Christchurch's WORD festival

After two disrupted years, Christchurch is looking forward to its WORD literary festival complete with real life audiences.

Trustee, MC, poet - and occasionally chauffeur - for the festival, Daisy Speaks, can't wait.

Daisy will be hosting Confluence 2022, at which Pasfika and Māori musicians and poets will celebrate the cultural, musical and ancestral connections between the islands of Polynesia and Aotearoa.

Lynn Freeman talked with Daisy Speaks, who descends from Sāmoan orators, and first asked her why she's so invested in WORD?

Daisy is chairing Confluence 2.0, part of the WORD Festival on Saturday the 3rd of September at the Piano on Christchurch.

 

2:35  Richard Woolley's new novel Detachment Theory

What if somebody claims to know a distressing secret about your partner, and then challenges you via Twitter to find out what happened.

This is the situation Kiwi journalist Joy Manville finds herself in, as the protagonist of Richard Woolley's novel Detachment Theory.

Joy writes for the lightly fictional New Zealand Bugle, while her British husband Stephen currently works at the University of Auckland as a Professor in Film Studies.

Author Richard Woolley - another expat Brit - is also an academic as well as a former film screenwriter and director.   Detachment Theory is his 7th novel.  Lynn Freeman first asked him whether he approaches a film script differently from a novel.

 

2:47  The Big Sing returns after a long hiatus

The sound of the country's top secondary school choirs resonated through the Christchurch Town Hall last night for the National Finale of New Zealand's largest choral event: The Big Sing.  It's the first such event in three years.

The event's been running for more than 30 years, and in the lead-up to the Finale more than 8,000 singers in around 250 choirs had entered the regional competitions.

It's described as more a celebration than a competition.   Lynn Freeman talks with one of the adjudicators Igelese Ete, and two members of the Rangi Ruru Girls' School choir, "Resolutions".   Helen Charlton is the choir's director, and Millie Trusttum is the student choir leader.

 

3:06 Drama at 3 -  Rescue Remedy by Sue McCauley

This week's Classic Drama is a black comedy about a high profile court case.   Young upwardly mobile lawyer Jack Hope gets the break of his life - or so he thinks - when he is asked to defend a woman who has attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister.

Jack is played by Jed Brophy, while Sally Gunn is played by Susan Wilson.  Other parts are played by Janet Fisher,  Deidre O’Connor,  Bruce Phillips, Jane Waddell,  Andrew Foster,  Stephen Gledhill,  William Brandt,  Donna Akersten, Jacob Rajan, Katherine McRae and Lee Hatherly.    Rescue  Remedy was engineered by Phil Benge and produced by Carol Dee for RNZ National.

 

Music played in this show

Artist: Gerald Adams
Song: Daisy Bell
Composer: Dacre
Album: Songs of World War 1
Label: Goentertainment
Played at: 12.15

Artist: Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem
Song: Red Rocking Chair
Composer:  Traditional
Album: Gambling Eden
Label: Signature
Played at: 12.40

Artist: The Colourfield
Song: Pushing up the daisies
Composer: Hall-Lyons
Album: Virgins and Philistines
Label: Cherryred
Played at: 12.58

Artist: Jo Ann Campbell
Song: Crazy Daisy
Composer: Hatcher
Album: Girl from Wolverton Mountain
Label: Jasmin
Played at:  1.07

Artist: Stereolab
Song: Daisy Click Clack
Composer: Gane-Sadier
Album: Chemical Chords
Label:  4 AD
Played at: 1.42

Artist: Kitty Daisy & Lewis
Song: I'm going back
Composer: Durham
Album: Smoking in Heaven
Label: Sundaybest
Played at: 1.58

Artist:  Cathy Harrop
Song:  Daisy a day
Composer: Strunk
Album: The Joys of Love
Label: Pye
Played at:  2.05 

Artist: Daisy Egan
Song:  Broadway Baby
Composer: Sondheim
Album: Sondheim a Celebration
Label: RCA
Played at:  2.58

Artist:  Chipmunk & Dayo Olatunji
Song:  Oopsy Daisy
Composer: Fyfe-Riley
Album:  R&B Yearbook 2009
Label: Sony
Played at:  3.58