'Interviews and other lies' a play by Tim Barcode
27 and 28 February 1-3, 5-9 March 2002
7:30 pm except March 3rd at 3pm
Capital E TV Studio
Media Release:
Fringe Show finds it hard to satirise Television and NZ media
'New Zealand media is hard to make fun of because it already parodies itself' says Fringe Festival 2002 play writer Tim
Barcode.
'When nearly every locally made TV show involves ex sporting personalities talking to themselves or repackaging of
American reality TV it's pretty dire, but with Interviews and other lies we think we've cracked it.' Tim Barcode said.
Interviews and other lies is about a top TV interviewer Kerry McMahon who is reminiscent of Kim Hill, Linda Clark or
Angela D'Audney, but Kerry has significant personal issues. She works for a major NZ TV network that was privatised by
the outgoing National Government in 1999 (although this, as we know, didn't actually happen).
The play is to be performed in Capital E's television studio and part of the show will be seen by the audience live on
closed circuit television.
The show focuses on Kerry McMahon's return from holiday to find her show is being 'repackaged' against her wishes. The
action takes place in her dressing room and then live on-air on her daily 9.30 pm current affairs and magazine show.
Sue Watson, who has had some background in broadcasting will play New Zealand's best interviewer Kerry McMahon, her
young overworked producer, Sally, is played by Katie Mathieson and the foreign owned TV Network's rising executive
Seamus is performed by Alex Kalderimis.
Kerry McMahon's acerbic wit and high standards clash with the network's aims and her producer's growing dissatisfaction
as the show has us in the dressing room the night that everything goes wrong.
Guests fail to turn up, the ratings are down and Kerry is refusing to budge on any changes.
'The play is very definitely a comedy but audiences could be forgiven for thinking it is real with producer salary
issues, a dire season of new programmes and a management obsession with commercialising their programmes," said Tim
Barcode.
Newsliar media reports follow…
NZPI - Newsliar 11.59 am 13 February 2002
Kerry McMahon to perform Clitoris Conversations
Kerry McMahon will be taking time off her nightly NZTV show to perform the stage play "The Clitoris Conversations" as
part of a world wide effort to raise funds for breast implant research.
Madonna, Debra Messing from Will and Grace and Winnie Mandela will also be starring in the one woman show with
performances during March.
Kerry McMahon, who's show, 'The Kerry McMahon Show' is fighting falling ratings, says she hopes the performances during
the Fringe Festival will raise awareness and a lot of money.
Performances will be nightly in the St James Theatre in Wellington and the Auckland Town Hall.
ends vd/mngo/new/mcmahon
The Kerry McMahon Show is really 'Interviews and other lies', Capital E, OnTV Studio, Feb 27,28 March 1-9.
Proud to be part of the Fringe Festival.
Tickets Ticketek (04) 4842897
NZPI - Newsliar 1.29 pm 13 February 2002
Public TV watchdog worried by McMahon's Clitoris
Friends of Public Television national spokesperson John de Luney has reacted sharply to the news that Kerry McMahon will
be appearing on stage in the Clitoris Conversation.
"This calls into question whether Kerry McMahon is a serious current affairs interviewer or an actor," said de Luney who
has been McMahon's staunchest defender.
"It is impossible to believe that journalists and media are objective if they start to publicly express opinions on
issues, support causes and make comments on current issues," said de Luney.
"Also we're sick of turning on a radio or television to see journalists interviewing each other. Or pick up a newspaper
full of columns of 21 year old journalists trying to be funny. It's not good public broadcasting! And journalists try
and make the news by ringing obscure people like me all the time for comment. It's not objective!"
Victoria University media studies lecturer, Murray Boring has disputed that journalism and broadcasting are objective.
"I dispute that journalism and broadcasting are objective." Instead he thinks they are subjective. "I think they are
subjective," he said.
"I don't think you'd find an academic anywhere that would dispute that."
However Professor Humphrey Nuririmngo of the University of Congo disagrees, "No. Media is totally objective", he said to
NZPI in a phone interview. "If media is not objective you get imprisoned in my country."
Kerry McMahon will be taking time off her nightly NZTV show to perform the "Clitoris Conversations" to raise funds for
breast implant research. Madonna, Debra Messing from Will and Grace and Winnie Mandela will also be performing the one
woman show in performances during March.
ends Hiv/mngo/cont/mcmahondelun
The Kerry McMahon Show is really 'Interviews and other lies', Capital E, OnTV Studio, Feb 27,28 March 1-9.
Proud to be part of the Fringe Festival.
Tickets Ticketek (04) 4842897
NZPI - Newsliar 7 am 17 February 2002
NZTV appoints ex burger salesman as new head
The worst kept secret since the last cliff hanger in Shortland Street is out. NZTV's owners, Pittsburgh Rail, announced
the new CEO for New Zealand's largest TV network is Mike McNeil.
Mike McNeil, 46, ex McDonalds takes over the reigns from Steve Flash who was the fourth CEO appointed since the Network
was privatised in mid 1999.
McNeil says he is looking forward to the challenge, "My past experience is ideal for catering to New Zealand's
television needs, I want to keep NZTV as the first family entertainment choice for all New Zealanders."
Friends of Public Television national spokesperson John de Luney is appalled by the news, "it is our worst nightmare.
Things can only get worse. Running a television station is not like selling burgers and fries."
Mike McNeil disagrees with de Luney, "Yes it is."
"No it's not,"de Luney responded by phone to NZPI Newsliar.
McNeil, responded in a one line media release, "yes it is".
"No it's not," said de Luney.
"Yes it is," said McNeil.
Hiv/mngo/cont/mcmahondelun
The Kerry McMahon Show is really 'Interviews and other lies', Capital E, OnTV Studio, Feb 27,28 March 1-9.
Proud to be part of the Fringe Festival.
Tickets Ticketek (04) 4842897
NZPI - Hotwire 2.17 am 18 February 2002
NZTV to merge News with soap opera
Rumours surfaced today that NZTV is radically revising their flagship 6 pm news programme in what is believed to be a
world first. The new format, expected to be announced next week, sees existing news presenters removed, less news, and
the chat between news items increased.
Sources inside NZTV say that the new anchors will talk about their love lives, ask each other personal questions and
chat about what other staff are doing.
Seamus O'Tega NZTV spokesperson refused to deny the rumours and said everyone will have to wait and see what the changes
are, "but I can say however that whatever we announce will be groundbreaking."
Bulgaria has tried having women news readers stripping as they read the news but O'Tega denies this is part of the new
NZTV strategy, "We probably wouldn't try that. And certainly not in prime time.
Milton McConachie, who was a BCNZ 6 pm newsreader in the 70s said this was not a good thing; "What is most worrying is
that it's not clear whether they are going to be actors playing newsreaders and telling us about each other's characters
or newsreaders telling us about themselves and each other.
"Since we had newsreaders going public with how they feel about each other and themselves the whole of public
broadcasting has been under threat.
"This blurs the distinctions between news and entertainment to the point that people can't tell what is reality and what
is fiction! People already have trouble working out that Shortland Street isn't real and they treat the actors like the
characters they play.
NZTV spokesperson Seamus O'Tega laughs off the suggestions that changes can result in these implications, "Sorry but
it's just not how it is. More people watch the news now that we have strong characters we now more about, and if we
introduce plots to the lives of the news characters even more people will watch the news. New Zealand could soon have
the most watched news programmes outside Bulgaria."
Hiv/mngo/cont/news
The Kerry McMahon Show is really 'Interviews and other lies', Capital E, OnTV Studio, Feb 27,28 March 1-9.
Proud to be part of the Fringe Festival.
Tickets Ticketek (04) 4842897
NZPI - Hotwire 9.19 am 19 February 2002
Queen no longer focus of personality disorders
Dr Melhuish Wecko from the Clinical Psychology Department of Auckland Hospital today confirmed that people with
transference personality disorders are now more likely to see themselves as Rangi Heremaia or Minnie from Shortland
Street than as Jesus Christ or the Queen.
"No longer are Napoleon, the son of God and royalty the usual identities that our patients assume. They are more likely
to be Dr Ropata, although our older patients think they are characters from Gliding On," said Dr Wecko.
Explaining this shift Dr Wecko said that today's royalty are TV and movie personalities. "The transition point was
Princess Di, who was sort of both. The limited outpouring of grief to Mother Theresa and subsequent royal deaths
confirms the shift."
"Now if someone delusional sees themselves as particularly special they identify with Newsboy or Petra Bagust. Rather
than God they can be ex All Blacks like John Kirwan."
"They don't have to be dead people that they have been reincarnated as, just people we don't see on the screens anymore.
I am expecting an influx of patients thinking they are Nick from Shortland Street or Jenny Shipley," he said.
ends Hiv/mngo/cont/psych
The Kerry McMahon Show is really 'Interviews and other lies', Capital E, OnTV Studio, Feb 27,28 March 1-9.
Proud to be part of the Fringe Festival.
Tickets Ticketek (04) 4842897