#david rector

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Radio Play 'Friends of Dorothy'premiers on JOY 94.9 this weekend

New sitcom radio play Friends of Dorothy launches on JOY 94.9, Australia’s LGBTQIA+ Radio Station, this weekend. And we can’t wait to hear it.

A new grid of pride-filled community radio has launched this week.

Filled with diverse talent and incredible stories told by passionate presenters.

One of the new highlights of the schedule is Friends of Dorothy, a sitcom radio play, premiering this Sunday night.

“Step back in time 40 years ago to a sitcom that puts the ‘Queer’ well and truly into Queertopia!” the show description reads.

“Mikey and Steph want to create a safe haven for their own kind.”

“But get more than they bargained for when they advertise for an ‘alternative’ flatmate.

“Their mission: An All ‘Friends of Dorothy’ household.”

QNews sat down with writer, producer and director David Rector to find out all about it.

“Friends of Dorothy was a shape-shifting idea for more than a decade before it morphed into the radio play,” David told us.

“I wanted to tell stories about the queer folk who came before me.”

“The trailblazers and brave souls who faced often dire circumstances but navigated them with great courage, heart and humour.  

“The spirit that our ‘people’ are so often known and respected for.”

It didn’t start as a radio play.

David’s work on Friends of Dorothy started as a potential documentary.

“I began interviewing people of different ages and was going to weave it into something; I wasn’t sure what!” he said.

“I come from the world of television, not a journalist or documentarian per se, but a Director of comedy and infotainment programs.”

“So, I decided to write it as a feature film and got some way into that.

“Making it a quirky transpersonal work of fiction set in one house that had seen queer people come and go as residents over the decades. 

“Life got in the way, and it was only partially realised, but I felt a pulse and urge to still tell stories of a bygone era.

“Eventually, I decided to fulfil a lifelong ambition.”

‘To create my own sitcom.”

David began writing Friends of Dorothy in 2022.

“A year later, cast it for a table reading for the first couple of episodes on Zoom to see if it had ‘legs’ and was something to pursue,” he said.

” There was amazing chemistry right off the bat between the ensemble I gathered.”

“And we recorded the first series entirely on Zoom.

“I started to realise that this sitcom would make a vibey podcast, or radio play as they used to be known.

“And here we are – two years on and nearly 25 episodes made.”

Bringing everyone together was a feat in itself.

The cast rehearsed the show via Zoom, and then came together to record episodes every few months in a studio in St Kilda.

While David edited the audio at his home in Sydney.

“I left the world of entertainment 16 years ago and worked in the gay community as a counsellor and peer support worker for 14 years,” David said.

“So broadcasting was well and truly in my rear vision mirror.”

“It’s been exciting but steep to get my head around radio and all the unique systems and sensibilities that are specific to that platform.

“The opportunity to introduce my characters and actors that I care so much about and the storylines that are taken from my own experiences: coming out as a young gay man in the 1980s, is one I am embracing.

“And really hope our audience will too.  

“I’ve enjoyed writing loads of ‘silly’ into the script and a big dollop of the whimsical among the banter.

“I believe laughter is indeed great medicine, and it feels like the world could do with a generous helping of it in 2025.”

Inspired by the Golden Girls.

Making its debut on the community radio airwaves on JOY 94.9 this Sunday night, David is excited to bring a new format to the station’s airwaves.

“Like most people I know, I was raised on a diet of sitcoms,” David said.

“My biggest inspiration was the 1980s hit The Golden Girls.”

“It had 4 clearly defined characters; amazing and funny women who didn’t always get along but became a family of sorts.”

“Once I realised that Friends Of Dorothy was somewhat novel in 2025, I thought it was high time that a traditional sitcom graced the airwaves once again.

“Where better than the all queer and national network like JOY?

“I discovered there were few, if any, fully scripted comedy series on Spotify or Apple.

“It’s quite the novelty for JOY 94.9 to house a sitcom.

“A serialised piece of work that audiences can tune into.

“At the same time, each week follows the trials and tribulations of a set of quirky but lovable characters.

“I love them, so I am hoping audiences will too.

“I am delighted that JOY has included our little show in their schedule for the next 6 months.”

We can’t wait to listen.

Friends of Dorothy makes its debut this Sunday on JOY 94.9 at 10 pm.

Stream JOY 94.9 live online or via the JOY app or iHeartRadio, or listen via JOY 94.9 in Victoria or nationally via Digital DAB+.

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