An Eclectic Life with Andrew Whiteside

The Effect is a play by British Playwright Lucy Prebble which opens in Auckland on the 16th April 2024. Directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson, it stars kiwi actors Sara Wiseman, Jarod Rawiri, Jayden Daniels, and Zoë Robins. Talking to Andrew Whiteside about the production and her part in it is Sara Wiseman.

Rainbow Games '24 is a LGBTQ sporting event coming to Auckland in early April 2024. It involves three days of competition in 10 different sports. To talk about the initiative is Brad Christensen who is the Co-Chair of the event.

A look into NZ Opera's 2024 season by Andrew Whiteside

Heartbreak Hotel is a play written by kiwi writers Eleanor Bishop and Karin McCracken. It's a comedy drama about the grief and drama we've all faced when a relationship ends. Karen McCracken stars alongside kiwi actor Simon Leary. In this interview Simon joins me to discuss the play, and why he feels he needed to be a part of it.

Sally Stockwell is a kiwi actor who has been in a range of screen dramas. This month she launches a theatrical show called We've God So Much to Talk About which is an exploration of motherhood and the myriad of issues connected with that. She sat down with Andrew Whiteside to discuss the show.

REHAB is an improvised play about addiction and recovery conceived by Elizabeth Cracroft and is based on her own experience with alcohol addiction in her youth. The play originally debuted in 2021 but has been reworked for a new season in Auckland. Joining Andrew Whiteside to discuss the play is Elizabeth and two cast members - Carmen Adams, and Mark Scott.

Actor Jack Buchanan talks about Zombies by Andrew Whiteside

Shadon Meredith is an actor and poet in New Zealand of Samoan heritage. He has worked acted in many theatre, film and television roles including the kiwi soap Shortland Street. In this interview with Andrew Whiteside he talks about a very personal theatrical production called ‘Waiting' which opens in Auckland on the 26th September 2023.

Bernadette Robinson is a classically trained Australian singer who brings her show DIVAS to Auckland for a season beginning the 11th October 2023. In the show, Robinson performs music from 10 beloved Divas - and that includes Shirley Bassey, Dolly Parton, Barbara Streisand, Miley Cyrus among others. Andrew Whiteside spoke to Bernadette via phone about the show.

Switzerland is a play written by Joanna Murray-Smith which fictionalises a part of real life author Patricia Highsmith. It is Auckland Theatre Company's final theatrical piece for 2023. To talk about the play is the wonderful actor Sarah Peirse who plays Highsmith in this tight thriller.

I Want to Be Happy is a new play by actor and writer Carl Bland about a lab assistant and a guinea pig, both of whom just want to be happy. It stars kiwi actors Jennifer Ludlam and Joel Tobeck and opens in Auckland on the 18th August and Wellington on the 6th September 2023. Joel talks to Andrew Whiteside about the play.

Mike and Virginia is a play by kiwi playwrights Kathryn Burnett and Nick Ward that opens at the Pumphouse Theatre in Auckland on the 31st August 2023. It's billed as a romantic comedy about romantic comedies and stars Andy Grainger and Laura Hill in the eponymous roles. In this interview with Andrew Whiteside Laura Hill talks to be about the play and her role.

Mysterious Ways is a new film that tells the story of a gay priest in New Zealand and his battle with church authorities over his right to get married his own church. One of the starts of the film is actor and singer Nick Afoa. In this interview with Andrew Whiteside, he discusses the film and his role.

Mysterious Ways is a new film that tells the story of a gay priest in New Zealand and his battle with church authorities over his right to get married his own church. It starts British actor Richard Short and star of the musical The Lion King Nick Afoa. Talking with Andrew Whiteside about the film and what inspired it is director Paul Oremland.

Mysterious Ways is a new film that tells the story of a gay priest in New Zealand and his battle with church authorities over his right to get married his own church. The priest is played by British actor Richard Short and in this interview with Andrew Whiteside, he talks about the film and his role.

The world famous musical Kinky Boots is part way through it's 2023 New Zealand Season, and its been a smash hit. Today Andrew Whiteside talks with Stewart McKensy who plays the part of Lola in the show.

Black Grace is one of New Zealand's premier dance company and on the 7th June 2023 they present their newest work 'Paradise Rumour' in Auckland. to Talk about the show is one of the performers Rodney Tyrell.

James Hilary Penwarden is a non binary comedian who has a show called 'Them Fatale' in the 2023 New Zealand International Comedy Festival. This week, Andrew Whiteside had a chat with James about the show and their journey coming out as non binary.

Anita Wigl'it is a drag performer in New Zealand who came in 8th place in the inaugural in Ru Paul's Drag Race Downunder This year, Anita has her first appearance in the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. She sat down with Andrew Whiteside to discuss the show and how her life has changed…

For the first time in over three years the New Zealand International Comedy Festival is underway. It brings together the best of kiwi and overseas comedic talent. One of those kiwis participating this year is Brendon Green who has a show called I'm Happy You're Here. He talks to Andrew Whiteside about the show.

Brenda is a leadership and career development specialist and the founder of Leadership Reboot. She coaches clients to reach three key outcomes, increased leadership confidence, more cohesive teams and higher workplace wellbeing. But her philosophies can be used by anyone in their life. In this interview I talk to Brenda about her work, and her how her own journey through life. In this interview with Andrew Whiteside she discusses the book and her own life.

The film North by Northwest was a spy thriller that was directed by legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock in 1959. It is seen as one of the greatest films of all time. Now a theatrical version of the story is coming to Auckland from the 25th October 2022. It's the last major production of this year by Auckland Theatre Company. Directed by Simon Phillips, the shows stars are Ryan O'Kane and Antonia Prebble. It's a very innovative production, and this week, I sat down with two members of the cast - actors Michèle Hine, and Jono Martin to talk about the show.

In 1993 a gay man called Peter Ellis was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail on charges he had sexually abused seven children at a child care centre in Christchurch, New Zealand. Despite concerns about how the investigation was handled, unreliable testimony and a retraction from one of the key witnesses, several appeals against his conviction were unsuccessful. In October 2022 however, the New Zealand Supreme Court found that evidence against him, and misleading expert testimony in the original trial had resulted in a miscarriage of justice and therefore quashed all of the convictions. Peter Ellis himself was unable to savour that decision as he had died of bladder cancer in 2019. Joining me now to discuss the case and appeal process is Peter Ellis's long term lawyer and supporter Rob Harrison.

Fiona Sussman is a South African born author who now resides in New Zealand. Her latest novel is called The Doctor's Wife. Set in Auckland New Zealand, it is a psychological thriller with plenty of fascinating twists and turns. I absolutely loved it, and Fiona joins me today to talk about the book.

Po Boys and Oysters is a new play opening in Auckland 27th September 2022 that tells the story of two black women trying to adopt a child in New Zealand. Written by Estelle Chout, it takes a deep dive into what it means to be black, lesbian, and living in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland in the 21st Century. Estelle stars in the play and she, with fellow actor Layla Pitt sit down to talk to Andrew Whiteside about the production.

French singer Edith Piaf became an international star for her remarkable voice and songs about love and heartache. This year Russian born singer and now New Zealand resident Yulia brings the iconic singer to life in the live show Edith Piaf Au Club des Cinq at the 2022 Auckland Cabaret Season. This week, Andrew Whiteside managed to have a quick chat to Yulia about the show.

The Wasp is a play written by British playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm that has it's New Zealand premiere this week at Auckland's Q Theatre. It's described as a psychological thriller and even has a trigger warning about its themes. Critics in the UK have also described it as sharply comic. Interesting huh. The play stars Miriama McDowell, and Bree Peters, and is directed by Sam Snedden. Bree and Sam join Andrew Whiteside to talk about the play.

The Made, is a new play by kiwi playwright Emily Perkins that Auckland Theatre Company brings to the stage mid September 2022. It's about a scientist played by veteran actor Alison Bruce who creates synthetic human beings with artificial intelligence. The play explores many questions, in particular can a robot with AI develop real emotions. Alison Bruce took time out of rehearsal to discuss this interesting new play with Andrew Whiteside.

Swallow the Fly is a comedic drama about a mother and son who are at odds over the the mother's hoarding of stuff in the family home. It's described as a passionate, lively and deeply emotional piece of work, and opens in Auckland in early September 2022. Talking to Andrew Whiteside about the production and the issues inside it is writer Rory Janssen.

Skin Hunger is a theatrical production coming to Auckland in September 2022 that is part of the Fringe Festival. It is a grief-stricken woman coming to terms with the death of her husband and her sexuality. It promises to be a drama with a lot of comedy in it. To talk about the production is director Romy Hooper and the writer and one of the stars of the production Tatiana Hotere who hails originally from Brazil. Towards the end of the interview, we also touch on one of Romy's side gigs as an intimacy coordinator in film and theatre.

Punch is the debut feature film by director Welby Ings. It tells the story of two young men living in a small New Zealand town and exploring their sexuality. In this interview with Andrew Whiteside, Welby discusses the film and its themes.

The Writer is a play by English playwright Ella Hickson that debuted in London in 2018. It's about a young writer who wants to create a career and life free from the power dynamics and patriarchy of the theatrical world. It's a controversial work, and this month, Silo Theatre presents the play to a New Zealand audience. Talking about the production with Andrew Whiteside is actor Matt Whelan who you might know from the kiwi TV show Go Girls, and from the Amazon original series American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story.

The Campervan is a new play opening in Auckland in early September 2022. it stars well-known actors Lisa Chappell, and Andrew Grainger, and directed by Simon Prast. It was written by award winning screenwriter, playwright and script consultant Kathryn Burnett, who has worked in the New Zealand TV and film industry for over twenty years. She joins Andrew Whiteside to discuss the play.

One of the shows on offer at this years Auckland Fringe Festival is called Grief Sex Race. It stars Jess Karmajeet and Sophie Gibson and is a comedy show about tragedy, sexism, and racism. They both sat down with Andrew Whiteside to discuss how it all came together.

Peter Wells was a well-known author and filmmaker in Aotearoa New Zealand. He was a gay man who made a huge impact in both the screen industry and the literary world in this country. He died at the age of 69 in 2019 after a battle with cancer. While undergoing treatment and facing his mortality, Peter published a series of posts about his experience with illness on Facebook. These were subsequently published as a book called 'Hello Darkness' shortly after his death.  This week, a theatrical adaptation of the book will be staged during the Auckland Writers Festival. The show is written by Victor Rodger, directed by Shane Bosher, and stars Roy Ward. In this interview, Shane and Roy discuss this important work with Andrew Whiteside.

Cameron Jones is a kiwi actor who has starred in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, The Hobbit movies and joined Dolly Parton on set for a movie called Dolly Parton's biography movie Christmas of Many Colors. On the 1st of September 2022, he brings his one-man show High Rise to Auckland for a three night gig - It promises to be a night of laughs and thought provoking satire, and I sat down with him to talk about that, some of his career, and exactly what he thinks of Dolly Parton.

Gina Cole is a New Zealand author who has just published a science fiction novel called Na Viro. The story is essentially about a woman terrified of space who must venture into our galaxy to save her sister. It's a great book, full of twists and revelations. Now, Gina Cole has Scottish, Welsh and Fijian ancestry, and weaves a lot of Pacific culture into the story in a wonderful way. In this interview with Andrew Whiteside, she discusses the novel.

The Auckland Writers Festival kicks off this year on the 23rd August 2022 and runs for six days. It is a remarkable event that showcases and celebrates all things literary. To give us a hint of what to expect this year, Festival Director Anne O'Brien talks with Andrew Whiteside about what is on offer.

The power and emotion of Long Day's Journey into Night by Andrew Whiteside

Seven years ago, a unique and possibly subversive series of drag events took place in Auckland New Zealand - called Disco Bloodbath, they were an attempt to shake up the world of drag in the city. Filming the events was a documentary filmmaker called Marcus Palmer. This month, as part of the Documentary Edge Festival, Marcus releases his documentary about the events and the community they evolved in - and its called Disco Bloodbath. https://www.discobloodbath.org https://docedge.nz/festival22/film/disco-bloodbath/

A new name and era for the New Zealand AIDS Foundation by Andrew Whiteside

It's winter in New Zealand which means it is time for the annual Documentary Edge Festival. This year, it spans over 40 days both online and in cinemas in our three biggest cities. The online portion is already in progress, but the entire festival runs to the 10th of July 2022. To talk about the highlights with Andrew Whiteside is Alex Lee the festival director of Doc Edge.

Auckland Theatre Company has a new production opening this month called Scenes from a Yellow Peril: Scenarios for the Assimilated Asian. It was written by Nathan Joe, a Chinese kiwi playwright and is described as a political stream of consciousness. In this interview with Andrew Whiteside, Nathan explains why he wrote the play.

Keagan Carr Fransch is a Zimbabwean/New Zealand theatre director. In this interview with Andrew Whiteside, she talks about the exiting and somewhat full on play 'seven ways to kill kylie jenner' that opens this week in Auckland. The play was written by British playwright Jasmine Lee-Jones and debuted in London in 2019 and has subsequently been in seen many cities overseas, and has received some rave reviews.

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the beginnings of the gay liberation movement in New Zealand. It was back in 1972 that the first groups of gay men and women got together to try and decriminalise gay male sex and discrimination against gay people. To commemorate that anniversary, kiwi author and historian Brent Coutts teamed up with artist George Hajian to create a very novel new book called 1972 - A Year in Focus. In this interview Andrew Whiteside talks to them both about the project and the stories behind it.

This month sees the launch of the Ukraine Film Festival in Auckland New Zealand. It is happening at The Vic theatre in the suburb of Devonport from the 29 May 2022. It is being organised by Elena Stejko and Dasha Volga. Elena is an actress and acting coach who you may have seen in the kiwi vampire film What We Do in the Shadows. And Dasha is a filmmaker and actress. I sat down with them to talk about the festival, and also, inevitably the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Tickets thevic.co.nz

This week sees the launch of a research study aimed at gathering robust and diverse data about safe sex practices and HIV transmission rates in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The reason for the study is because men who have sex with men are unable to donate blood unless they have abstained from sexual activity for three months. To talk about this research with Andrew Whiteside is Dr Peter Saxton, Associate Professor of Public Health at Auckland University's School of Population Health, Auckland University. Now, just a quick a warning, there will be sexual references in this interview, so I am assuming if you are going to continue to listen that you are an adult, and that you are grown up enough not to be offended. spots.org.nz

Ageing is something that all of us face in life, and as a species, we are living far longer than previous generations. But how do we deal with the challenges and changes that ageing brings. That is the central question posed by author Juliet Batten in her new book The Pomegranate Journal in which she shares snippets from her life over a period time. She shares the joy, but also the difficulties in getting older and offers a unique perspective on how to adjust to it. In this interview with me, Juliet shares her wisdom on ageing.

Here in New Zealand, a charity called InsideOUT Kōaro has officially released a series of guidelines and resources for schools aimed at helping them create policies and procedures that are inclusive of LGBTQI students. To talk about the resources, the need for them, and the reactions to them, is Tabby Besley, managing director of InsideOUT Kōaro.  https://www.insideout.org.nz/resources/

Auckland Theatre Company has just announced they are beginning a Youth Programme. The initiative is free, and will be a year long training and performance programme for aspiring actors, directors, designers and writers aged 16-25 who are looking to develop their craft. Talking about the venture with Andrew Whiteside are Sam Phillips - Participation Coordinator for Auckland Theatre Company, and Gabby Solomona - who along with Sam is one of four leaders of the programme. www.atc.co.nz/participation/youth-company

In this interview with New Zealand Labour Member of Parliament Shanan Halbert, Andrew Whiteside talks with him about his perspective on the recent ban on conversion therapy in New Zealand, the future of LGBTQI rights in this country, and what his 14 months in parliament have been like so far.