Saturday Morning for Saturday 22 December 2018

 

 

 

8.09 Simon Denny - A year of The Founder's Paradox

Simon Denny is a New Zealand artist based in Berlin.  In 2015, he represented NZ at the 56th Venice Biennale with his work Secret Power - which explored the workings of the US National Security Agency (NSA) and its partners in the Five Eyes Alliance, which includes New Zealand.  In 2018 he's exhibited a new work, The Founder's Paradox, which reflects on competing political visions for New Zealand's future within a volatile social climate destabilised by new technologies. It also examines the role of billionaire backers of a hyper-capitalistic vision, including Silicon Valley-based New Zealander Peter Thiel.  Simon Denny and journalist Anthony Byrt talked to Kim earlier in the year when the work was launched in Auckland; today he talks to Noelle about developments in the year since the work has been on show. The Founder's Paradox has this week opened at the Christchurch Art Gallery.

 

The Founder's Paradox 

 

9.06 Jed Mercurio - Writer of Bodyguard and Line of Duty

Jed Mercurio is an acclaimed UK writer for television. His most recent productions are Bodyguard and Line of Duty, both of which have broken audience records. His other credits include Lady Chatterley's Lover, Critical, Strike Back, Bodies, The Grimleys and Cardiac Arrest. Line of Duty and Bodies are both winners of the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama Series; Line of Duty won the 2018 Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Drama Series and Mercurio won Best Writer. The first four seasons of Line of Duty have so far been nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards. Mercurio is a former hospital physician and Royal Air Force officer, having originally planned to specialise in aviation medicine.

 

 

 

9.35 Zoe George - Women and sport, 2018

Zoe George joins Noelle to discuss a huge year for women in sport - including threats of violence against cricket commentator Debbie Hockley, the success of Aotearoa's female football and rugby players, the ongoing saga of toilet equity at the Basin Reserve, and the horrific assault of hundreds of female gymnasts in the US. George is a RNZ music journalist and sports podcaster. She produces the Fair Play podcast series, and is co-producer of Not Your Average Cricket Show.

 

 

 

10.04 Robyn - New album: Honey

Swedish singer, songwriter and record producer Robyn Carlsson has had chart-topping career in music spanning 23 years. She's had four UK top ten singles, five Grammy nominations, and has legions of fans around the world. Her work caught the eye of Girls creator Lena Dunham, and when Dunham was looking for a song specifically for her hit series' final season, she commissioned one - and  that song became Honey. Robyn went on to release a long-awaited album with the same name in October this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.40 Leah McFall - Royal women seen and not heard

Wellington writer and columnist Leah McFall says she has accidentally - and not consciously - become a bit of an expert on the British royal family. The royals are one topic among many in her columns for Sunday magazine which feature in her book, Karori Confidential. McFall joins Noelle for a chat about the plight of royal women whose job, it seems, is to have babies, look good, and keep quiet. Targeted by the media for such serious misdemeanors as wearing the wrong shoes or the public cradling of a baby bump, McFall reckons the royal women have it tough - and the standards expected of them also have an impact on ordinary women.

 

 

 

 

11.05 Rose Matafeo - Comedienne extraordinaire

Rose Matafeo is a comedian, writer and actor.  She was a presenter on TVNZ youth show U Live, before writing and performing for Jono and Ben. She was also a lead writer and co-star of Three's sketch show Funny Girls. Based in London since 2015, Matafeo is a regular face on English television, on shows including Have I Got News For You (BBC One) and The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice (Channel 4).  This year, her show Horndog won the best comedy show award at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and was nominated for the best show at Melbourne International Comedy Festival.  She's also written Work Do with Alice Snedden, about an alcohol-laden office party. Work Do has just finished a season at Auckland's Basement Theatre.

 

 

 

11.40  Jordan Rondel - Beyond Christmas cake

Jordan Rondel is an Auckland-based cake baker. As a young girl, she would visit her grandparents in Paris and it was there that she says she first experienced the elation that comes from creative cooking.  Growing up she continued baking, and a part-time business became a profession in 2010 when Rondel, then 21, started 'The Caker', selling cakes through her blog.  She will join Noelle to talk about new and exciting Christmas treats, and will also share a recipe: Honey cake with honey cream icing.  It's from her new book, Sunday Baking.

 

 

Music played during the show:

 

Song: LA

Artist: The Fall 

Album: This Nation's Saving Grace (1985)

 

Song: All That We Get 

Artist: First-aid Kit 

Album: Tender Offerings (2018)