Globus Theatre is bringing its summer season to an end with Funny Farmers by Kevin Riordan. Directed by Sarah Quick, Funny Farmers is a charming spoof on rural life and the modern farming industry that will appeal to anyone who has ever lived or worked on a farm, as well as city slickers who’ve never stepped on one.

Written by Canadian playwright Kevin Riordan, Funny Farmers is a relatively new production that’s only been performed a handful of times.

James Barrett plays Gary, a failed NHL goalie who decided to take on the task of running his family farm. However, due to a number of unfortunate incidents, Gary has lost the farm and is working at Wal-Mart. Now living next door to the farm that his family owned for generations, Gary watches in horror as Jerry (Connor Thompson) — an American lawyer with no farming experience — purchases the property with ideas of becoming an organic farmer.

As Jerry suffers one disaster after another, Gary eventually takes pity on the wannabe farmer and steps in to assist in pulling the farm out of ruin.

Can one failed farmer and a man who has no idea what he is doing create a farming empire?

It takes some big ideas and a lot of heart to make it work. From goats with chlamydia to an unwanted marijuana crop, Gary and Jerry become a mismatched odd couple trying to beat the odds in this good-natured comedy of hard work and rural living.

Now I can’t help but go into a comedy with a bit of cynicism when it has the word “funny” in the title — just how funny will the show actually be? In the case of Funny Farmers, the show lives up to its name. It’s a screwball comedy that stays smart and likeable without becoming too silly or slapstick.

Although some of the situations are outrageous, such as Gary and Jerry’s trip to Toronto in the second act, the show is a character-driven piece that never takes itself very seriously. The result is lots of laughs in a light-hearted comedy.

The success of the show lies in the juxtaposition of the relationship between the two lead characters: two men who at first seem to have nothing in common. Gary is filled with resentment over this city lawyer who is ruining the family farm, which is only inflamed as Jerry hilariously continues to say and do all the wrong things in an attempt to bond with his surly neighbour.

The rivalry turns into a friendship and finally a partnership, as the two men find common ground in their attempt to keep the farm alive. A tale of two underdogs trying to be successful, the audience can’t help but root for Gary and Jerry to keep the farm alive.

There is no doubt that the audience loves James Barrett as Gary. As the narrator of the show, just his presence alone in the opening scenes creates a warm and inviting energy. Often cast in roles where he plays sensitive characters, James goes against type in the role of Gary.

Far more stoic and rough around the edges than the characters that James usually plays, Gary has a good sense of humour when addressing the audience, but comes off much tougher and removed when interacting with the characters in the show. However, James brings natural warmth to any character he plays, and smoothly guides the audience into the world of Ontario farming.

Connor Thompson brings a nervous energy to the role of Jerry. With high but unrealistic ideals, Jerry comes into farming with no clue of what he’s doing and sees idea after idea fail. Interestingly, while Jerry is supposed to be the more sophisticated of the pair, he becomes the comic relief while Gary is the straight man. More comedy is created by the fact that Gary is an American living in rural Ontario.

Jerry becomes the ultimate outsider who’s in over his head while trying to make the best of a losing battle. From resisting his desire for venison beef jerky when he decides to go vegetarian to developing relationships with all of his animals, Jerry is a loveable fool stuck in a misguided dream.

Sarah Quick (James’ real-life spouse) also appears in the show as Gary’s wife Deanna. Known for her terrible cooking, Deanna has a lot to worry about when it comes to Gary. Although supportive of him after he loses the farm, she worries about his happiness, as well as where he goes at night when he skips dinner.

Kelly Holiff co-stars as Jerry’s suffering wife Melissa. After only six months of marriage, Jerry brings his wife to the farm — but neglects to tell her he has shut off the power, water, heat, phone services, and internet in an attempt to go back to a simpler way of life.

A strong woman with more common sense than her husband, Melissa wants to skin her idiot husband alive, but quickly falls in love with the community in her role of county doctor.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to escape his wife’s cooking, Gary strikes up an unlikely friendship with Melissa after she secretly begins to feed him — in return for the secret chores Gary does in the night to undo Jerry’s farming mistakes.

Ultimately, Funny Farmers is a show about two underdogs who come together to beat the odds. It’s a perfect way to end what has been a wonderful theatrical season for Globus Theatre at the Lakeview Arts Barn.

I’ve had a wonderful time driving out to Bobcaygeon every three weeks this summer to visit such a warm and beautiful space, to see old friends, to make new ones, and be around good people. If you’ve yet to visit the Lakeview Arts Barn this summer, Funny Farmers is a perfect reason to do so.

Funny Farmers is on now until September 3rd at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcayeon. The show starts at 8 p.m., with two matinees at 2 p.m. on August 27 and September 1. Dinner is available by reservation before evening performances at 6 p.m. For more information and tickets, call the Globus box office at 705-738-2037 or visit www.lakeviewartsbarn.com

Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, August 25 to Wednesday, August 31.

If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.

The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is holding auditions for area musicians who would like to play with the orchestra during its 50th anniversary season.

PSO Music Director and Conductor Michael Newnham will be auditioning volunteer musicians on Wednesday, September 14, 2016, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The pre-scheduled auditions will take place at Trinity United Church (360 Reid St., Peterborough).

Interested musicians can reserve a timeslot by calling the PSO at 705-742-1992 or emailing info@thepso.org. Musicians will receive further details about what to prepare for the auditions at the time of reservation.

Musicians auditioning for the PSO should be capable of performing at a level equivalent to Royal Conservatory of Music Grade 7, and be available during the performance season to practice their individual part and attend weekly rehearsals with the orchestra during the 2016/17 season from from November 2016 through May 2017.

The PSO, a non-profit charity located in downtown Peterborough at 159 King Street, is comprised of 40 volunteer musicians and professional string section leaders.

For almost 50 years, the orchestra has been a cultural cornerstone of the Peterborough community and has a reputation as one of the finest community-based orchestras in Canada. PSO musicians are the heart of the organization and are essential to its success.

For more information, visit www.thepso.org.

If you still require proof the summer that is will all too soon be the summer that was, the dawning of Peterborough Musicfest’s final presentation of its 19-concert schedule provides all the evidence you need.

It seems like only yesterday that Serena Ryder opened the concert series’ 30th anniversary season. At the time, August 24 and the series finale featuring High Valley was a distant thought. But now here we are, with the critically acclaimed country music brother duo of Brad and Curtis Rempel set to take to the Fred Anderson Stage.

Born and raised in a Mennonite community in Blumenort, Albert, the Rempel boys — with third brother Bryan originally in the mix — were destined to remain together in some form. As Brad told Gayle Thompson of www.theboot.com just this past June, family was, and remains, at the centre of the brothers’ universe.

“We love getting together,” Brad says. “We grew up singing a lot together, singing in church and every Christmas.”

“When I was four years old, our family made a little gospel record at our church. Our dad was pulling the engine out of a tractor on the farm and the phone rang, and it was some scam artist, basically, from Nashville, saying, ‘Hey, I saw your boys on MP3.com and for $60,000, if you wire me the money, I can turn them into big stars.’ Dad always says, ‘If he would have seen the tractor I was working on, he never would have asked me for $60,000.'”

“But it got the wheels turning,” Brad admits. “Mom and Dad mortgaged their farmland and flew us down here (Nashville) and spent a lot of money on helping us record and stuff.”

That investment paid off handsomely in 2007 with the release of Broken Borders, High Valley’s debut album, which claimed Album of the Year and Country Song of the Year (“Back To You”) Covenant Award honours from the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of Canada.

Three years later, that early momentum morphed into something even more special as High Valley’s follow-up self-titled album garnered a 2012 Juno Award nomination for Country Album of the Year as well as an astounding five GMA awards.

Just two years later, the busy brothers released their third studio album, Love Is A Long Road, with the single “Have I Told You I Love You Lately” charting well. But it remains 2014’s County Line that has made High Valley a household name in country music circles.

With Bryan having departed the group to focus on family, leaving the duo of Brad and Curtis to carry on, County Line produced six Top Ten country radio singles, including “Make You Mine”, which was awarded gold record certification by Music Canada. It didn’t hurt matters that the single features the talents of Ricky Skaggs.

“Make You Mine” – High Valley

“One could argue the picture this duo paints is too familiar but their arrangement (of Make You Mine) makes this an urgent listen,” wrote music critic Billy Dukes for www.tasteofcountry.com. “It’s fun that touches your soul and that is very rare on country radio.”

“The first time we ever played it live, it was special and we knew that we had something,” Brad says of the single.

“Now we feel that we can do what we’ve always done but somehow people are calling it progressive, or they’re calling it throwback, or they’re calling it the new sound, or whatever. To us, it’s just what we’ve always done but yet it’s brand new at the same time, and that’s what makes us the most excited about it.”

“If we were doing something that was making people excited but it didn’t feel like what we had always done, it would be a little bit of a letdown. This feels like we’ve taken all those years and what we’ve done to bring it to 2016. It just feels right.”

Anchored by the strong reception to “Make You Mine”, County Line was nominated for a 2012 Juno Award in the Country Album of the Year and also won High Valley a Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) award as Group or Duo of the Year. The latter marked the brothers’ ninth CCMA award nomination since 2010 and second win, the first coming in 2013 as Interactive Artist of the Year.

High Valley arrives in Peterborough on the tail end of an extensive tour that has featured numerous dates in Canada and across the border. Prior to kicking off that journey, Brad expressed the brothers’ anxiousness to get out there.

“We’re very excited. People were already starting to sing Make You Mine back to us. We were like, ‘Man, this is the real deal.'”

“County Line” – High Valley

Peterborough Musicfest has presented 19 free-admission concerts during its milestone 30th anniversary season.

Overseen by general manager Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission is to “provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”

For more information on this concert and/or the 2016 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.