Sonia Yee

Sonia Yee is an actor, writer, producer and broadcaster. As a second-generation Chinese New Zealand theatremaker, Yee was among a “new wave of Asian creatives” in the early 2000s to develop work exploring the migrant experience, with her solo show The Wholly Grain considered a milestone in the growth of the Asian theatre sector. By 2008, Yee had begun a career in broadcasting at Radio New Zealand (RNZ), with her work in journalism and presenting leading to her current role as an independent podcast producer and industry advocate.

Born and raised in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Yee attended the University of Canterbury, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Media, Literature and Film Theory before relocating to Pōneke Wellington to train as an actor at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. She cites her time at both these institutions as formative to her practice as a storyteller. On majoring in American Studies and learning about writers such as Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, Yee said, “it opened up my world as a New Zealand-born Chinese woman, that these writers had experienced serious social and cultural injustice and inequality.” Alongside gaining an interest in stories as a catalyst for social change, Yee’s concentration in media, literature and film taught her to “think analytically and really dissect the way we think about the world, what we read, and what we watch.”

After completing her studies and enrolling in Toi Whakaari, Yee developed The Wholly Grain. Centred on a woman torn between her ambitions as a young New Zealander and filial role as a Chinese daughter expected to take over the family fish-and-chip shop, the one-woman play draws on Yee’s family’s foray into the takeaway business and her own complicated feelings growing up Chinese in Aotearoa. In an interview for the NZ Herald, she recalled being intimidated by skinheads while growing up in Christchurch and denying her Chinese heritage, before rediscovering it through her passion for drama. The premiere season of The Wholly Grain, performed by Yee and directed by Nina Nawalowalo, was presented at BATS Theatre, Wellington in 2003. It was remounted at Herald Theatre, Auckland in 2005.

At Toi Whakaari, Yee specialised in physical and devised theatre. The visual foundations of this practice, as well as her time as a theatre and screen actor, helped elevate the audio-based craft of her radio and podcast work. “Transitioning to radio as a producer,” she noted in a 2023 interview, “it was very instinctive to introduce other ‘dramatic elements’ into my work and create ‘pictures with sound’ which gave it a unique feel.” Her first experience presenting radio was with Wellington Access Radio in the early 2000s. At RNZ, while she was a regular presenter of live-to-air shows and reporter for programmes such as Arts Report and Asian Report (under the name Sonia Sly), producing “stand-alone, highly crafted audio content” quickly became her focus at the national broadcaster.

Yee’s first credit as a producer was for The Golden Tide in 2008. Interweaving Yee’s narration and interview material with poetry, short stories, scripted scenes and original music, the RNZ documentary series is a prime example of the richly textural audio storytelling that brought her acclaim as a producer. On investigating the changing nature of the Chinese community in New Zealand, Yee remarked:

For me, as a second-generation Chinese New Zealander it brought things closer to home — real people and real stories that come from multiple and contrasting perspectives. I interviewed more than 20 participants whose stories at times are unexpected and unsettling, funny and enlightening, but more importantly, reveal the diverse voices and experiences of one of New Zealand’s long established communities. My aim for The Golden Tide is to push boundaries — culturally and creatively, to move beyond stereotypes and ultimately share this vision with a broad New Zealand audience.

For RNZ, Yee’s work on Beyond Kate — a podcast covering women’s suffrage in New Zealand — netted her a Gold Medal at the 2019 New York Festivals Radio Awards for producing and presenting, in the Social Issues category. She also won a Silver Medal in 2015 for Crime Scene, an arts story about 1950s-inspired crime scene photography, which she produced in the style of a Twin Peaks episode. After leaving RNZ in 2022, Lee founded the podcast production company Double Ten Media and won another Silver Medal in 2023 with Across the Board, a podcast commissioned by the Institute of Directors on boardrooms and governance, which she produced and co-hosted. In 2023, she launched Close to the Mic, a website dedicated to news, reviews and advocacy for the podcast industry.

Double Ten Media — Sonia’s independent podcast production company

Close to the Mic — Sonia’s news and review website dedicated to the podcast, radio and audio industry

Sonia Yee/Sonia Sly on RNZ

As playwright/performer:

2005 — The Wholly Grain, Herald Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau
2003 — The Wholly Grain, BATS Theatre, Pōneke

As producer/presenter:

2022 — Across the Board podcast, Institute of Directors/NZ Herald
2018 — Beyond Kate podcast, RNZ
2017 — Just One Thing podcast, RNZ
2016–2019 — My Heels Are Killing Me podcast, RNZ
2015–2021 — Eyewitness podcast, RNZ
2008 — The Golden Tide radio documentary series, RNZ

As producer:

2022 — Hair and Loathing podcast, RNZ/TAHI