Standing Room Only for Sunday 31 March 2019
On Standing Room Only, awards hot off the press. Mitch Tawhi Thomas won the country's top playwriting prize just last night, while the winners of the Storylines National Awards for Children and Young People writing haven't even been told yet!
Also on the programme, Lynn Freeman looks at a big Springbok Tour photograph collection, while she talks to curator Chanelle Carrick about choosing everyday objects for the new Puke Ariki Museum's exhibition. Another museum - in Whanganui this time - is finally back open for business, a new initiative uses the arts to promote community well-being, and comedian Ben Hurley has put together a star-studded comedy show to raise money for Victim Support in Christchurch.
But the big news is the reunion of The Front Lawn - Harry Sinclair and Don McGlashan - sort of. Harry has produced an animated series for children, and he invited old mate Don to provide the songs. Expect plenty of McGlashan songs this afternoon...
12:39 Springbok photos
A large private collection of photographs taken during the 1981 Springbok tour - many of them never or seldom seen before - remind us of a pivotal moment in New Zealand's history.
Well known photographers including Ans Westra, Peter Black, Bruce Connew and Gil Hanley are represented in the collection that's now up for auction, alongside amateurs who took striking shots of protests and pitch invasions.
In 1981, Kapil Arn was one of the anti-tour protest organisers in Auckland who helped the cause by taking photographs. Lynn Freeman talks with Kapil and also with Charles Ninow from the company auctioning off the collection on behalf of the owner. Kapil remembers his famous image of Sir Bob Jones confronting protesters...
The auction takes place on Wednesday at Auckland's Bowerbank Ninow.
12:50 Adam New Zealand Play Award
This weekend sees the awarding of the prestigious Adam New Zealand Play Awards. Lynn Freeman announces the results, and talks to the winner live in the Wellington. (The results are embargoed until Sunday)
Last night Wellington playwright Mitch Tawhi Thomas has made history as the first writer to take out the Adam New Zealand Play Award twice.
His second win is for his play Pakaru. Seven years ago his script Hui secured him the big prize.
Mitch also won Best Play by a Maori Playwright and Lynn Freeman talks to him about his stellar career.
Runner up for the New Zealand Play Award was Nancy Brunning for her family saga Taniwha Woman, while Benny Marama won best play by a Pasifika Playwright for thursdays.child.
1:10 At The Movies
Simon Morris reviews Fighting with my family, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and New Zealand musical Daffodils.
1:31 Puke Ariki Museum
Valuable and everyday objects representing 100 years of collecting are being showcased as part of Puke Ariki Museum's new exhibition Whare Kahurangi.
It's almost a century since the Taranaki Museum officially opened, and to mark the occasion, museum taonga from across the decades are being prepared to go out on show - many for the first time in many years.
One of curators with the exceptionally hard task of choosing what to show and what to leave out is Chanelle Carrick. Lynn Freeman talked to her and to museum team member Alice Franklin, who comes from a family of collectors.
Whare Kahurangi.100 Years of Collecting opens at Puke Ariki Museum on the 6th of April.
1.41 Return of the Front Lawn
In many ways the Front Lawn was the start of the New Zealand comedy boom - even though they were as much fringe and music as straight standup.
And now Don McGlashan and Harry Sinclair have reunited for something rather different from their Eighties satire.
Two or three decades on, Don and Harry are combining forces on a TV series aimed at pre-schoolers and their parents. Kiri and Lou boasts an all-star voice cast, and one of the world's great animators - Antony Elworthy of Coraline and Isle of Dogs fame.
But the stars of the show are Harry and Don. Simon Morris chats to them on the line from North America.
The first series of Kiri and Lou launched this week on TVNZ On Demand and on HEIHEI, while an episode plays on TVNZ 2 each weekday at 6:50am.
2:06 The Laugh Track - Ben Hurley
The way the whole country has got behind Victim Support over the past two weeks has been impressive and heart-warming. There are fund-raisers by artists, musicians, celebrities - including one featuring some of our top comedians.
It's called Standup For Peace, and the prime mover is Ben Hurley, a man uniquely suited for the gig. As one of our most experienced comedians - and Head Writer for TV's Seven days - he has just about every Kiwi stand-up comedian on speed dial.
Lynn Freeman welcomes him back to the Laugh Track after an 11-year hiatus - Ben was one of our first guests - and asks him if comedy can do sensitive and supportive?
Ben Hurley's choices include Micky Flanagan, Kitty Flanagan, Marc Maron and Frickin Dangerous Bro.
2.25 Whanganui Regional Museum
Astronomical amounts are being spent on earthquake-strengthening and upgrading museums and other arts institutions around the country.
Whanganui's revamped Regional Museum reopened to the public two weeks ago, a few months behind schedule. But the whole project cost three-and-a-half-million dollars over two years.
That covered seismic strengthening, refurbishment, collection-store upgrade and much more room for exhibits.
Director Frank Stark talked with Lynn Freeman about what's been achieved.
2:39 Author Tina Shaw
A bleak futuristic world of injustice is the setting for Tina Shaw's new Young Adult novel Ursa.
The thriller is launched at the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and National Awards Day in Auckland. Last year Ursa won the 2018 Storylines Tessa Duder Award for an unpublished Y.A novel.
Lynn Freeman talks with Tina, who's also a short story writer and editor.
Ursa by Tina Shaw is published by Walker Books Australia
2.49 Te Ora Auaha: Creative Wellbeing Alliance Aotearoa
The Mental Health and Addictions Inquiry report recently called for fresh approaches to community wellbeing.
A new nationwide network involving arts organizations argues that creativity must be one of those approaches.
This Wednesday sees the official launch of Te Ora Auaha: Creative Wellbeing Alliance Aotearoa. The network includes individuals, groups and organizations across the arts, health, youth, social and education sectors.
Lynn Freeman speaks to two enthusiastic members of the new network. Borni Te Rongopai Tukiwaho is from Te Pou Theatre and a member of the National Māori Mental Health Advisory Panel (HPA). Dr Molly Mullen is from the University of Auckland's Faculty of Education and Social Work.
The Honourable Carmel Sepuloni, Minister of Social Development and Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage, will officially launch the project - including a new website - this Wednesday
3:06 Drama at 3 - Fall of the Shah and Appointment with Samarra
Dame Diana Rigg narrates Episode 5 of the BBC production Fall of the Shah. And Stuart Hoar's Appointment with Samarra is a spy story centred on the nuclear testing on Mururoa Atoll.
3.50 Live cross to Storylines Awards
It's an afternoon of prizes and book launches in Auckland today at the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal and National Awards Day.
The big winners have - literally - just been announced, and Lynn Freeman talks to two of them.
The Storylines Joy Cowley Award for a picture book text has gone to Janelle Wilkey, from Blenheim for her story Mrs Brook's Chook.
Amy Haarhoff, from Palmerston North has won the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for an unpublished illustrator. This is for her work on Clare Scott's story Ruru and Kiwi's Midnight Feast.
Music played in this show
Artist: Muttonbirds
Song: Dominion Road
Composer: McGlashan
Album: The Muttonbirds
Label: BAG
Played at: 12.32
Artist: Blam Blam Blam
Song: Don't fight it Marsha (It's bigger than both of us)
Composer: McGlashan
Album: Luxury Length
Label: Propeller
Played at: 12.58
Artist: Don McGlashan
Song: An angel at my Table
Composer: McGlashan
Album: An angel at my table
Label: ABC
Played at: 1.08
Artist: Muttonbirds
Song: Nature
Composer: Mason
Album: The Murttonbirds
Label: BAG
Played at: 1.42
Artist: The Front Lawn
Song: How you doin'
Composer: McGlashan-Sinclair
Album: Songs from the Front Lawn
Label: Frontlawn
Played at: 1.46
Artist: Don McGlashan/NZSO
Song: End Credits
Composer: McGlashan
Album: Dean Spanley Original Soundtrack
Label:Mana
Played at: 1.58
Artist: Don McGlashan
Song: Lucky Stars
Composer: McGlashan
Album: Lucky Stars
Label: Frontlawn
Played at: 2.04
Artist: Blam Blam Blam
Song: No depression in New Zealand
Composer: McGlashan-Von Sturmer
Album: Blam Blam Blam
Label: Propeller
Played at: 2.35
Artist: Don McGlashan
Song: Miracle sun
Composer: McGlashan
Album: Warm Hand
Label: Arch Hikll
Played at: 2.58
Artist: Hollie Smith
Song: Bathe in the river
Composer: McGlashan
Album: Number Two
Label: EMI
Played at: 3.58