On Wednesday, August 14th, Peterborough’s newest theatre company Grassboots Theatre debuts their inaugural production, Repatriation to the Moon, at Artspace in downtown Peterborough.

Created and performed by company founders Chris Whidden and Peyton Le Barr, Repatriation to the Moon will be Peterborough’s first look at the exciting projects that the couple has planned for our community in the months, and years, to come.

Seemingly coming out of nowhere earlier this summer, Grassboots Theatre Company caught the attention of the community in a big way when Chis and Peyton hosted a open mic storytelling night, called Share Off!, in late July. Despite being virtual strangers to the arts community, Chris and Peyton’s event was a huge success with a packed house showing up to hear familiar faces from the arts community tell stories during what proved to be one of the hottest nights in July.

“We needed a fundraiser for Repatriation to the Moon but we also needed to dive in and be a company here,” Chris says of the storytellers event. “We needed to do something more than just to ask for money to help us put on a show. We wanted to do something that incorporated the community, and that’s where the storytelling event came from.”

“It was a great way to get to know Peterborough, and for the community to get to know us,” Peyton adds. “We wanted to create an event that was for Peterborough and wasn’t about us. I was pretty terrified that we would lose money doing it, or at best break even. I knew we’d have some people because we knew that we had storytellers signed up.”

“But never in my wildest dreams did I think that we would be jam packed and run out of chairs. People stayed despite the heat, which was unreal because I don’t know if I would stay at someone’s event if it was that hot.”

Originally from Toronto, Peyton and Chris were both working as actors when they met during a production of Twelfth Night. However, battling an oversaturated market and not finding the types of community in Toronto they wanted, the couple decided to find a new place to set up their own theatre company.

Knowing of the Kawarthas’ reputation as an arts community, they decided to pack up their two dogs and belongings and move to Peterborough County.

“We wanted to go somewhere that was a reasonable drive from Toronto so we could still work there as artists if we need too,” Chris recalls. “We had a radius and Peterborough fit in. We also wanted to go to a city that had an arts scene.”

“Peterborough has an energy that suits us,” Peyton adds. “We couldn’t be more honest to say that we chose to move here on a whim. We booked a hotel and decided to do a weekend visit. There was a blizzard, so we saw nothing of Peterborough. But we stumbled into Le Petit Bar (in downtown Peterborough) and it had the nicest energy. It was a lovely night, and we decided ‘Okay. This will do.'”

Purchasing a hobby farm in Havelock, the couple’s eventual plan is to build a small theatre space on the property. However, that dream is still in its infancy and is years away. In the meantime, they are making their theatrical debut with Repatriation to the Moon, which finds inspiration from a colourful figure in Chris’ family’s past: his great-uncle Wladyslaw Dutkiewicz, a Polish-born naturalized Australian artist and Polish language playwright.

“The whole inspiration for this show comes from my Polish heritage,” Chris explains. “When Poland was split between Russia and Germany during World War II, my grandma was sent to Siberia and her brother, Wlad, went to Germany. He was an artist and a member of the Polish Resistance, and he would do shows in Germany for the Polish people.”

“Wlad got someone to smuggle my grandma into Germany so they could be together again. When she found him, he was performing a show and, when he saw her in the audience, he fainted on the stage. The show he was doing at the time was called Repatriation to the Moon — about two Polish people who have no home anymore and decide to find a new one. There is no script, but there is one photo from that time of my great-uncle performing in that show, which I used as the inspiration for creating this show.”

Still guarded about the plot of the story during our visit, Peyton and Chis do reveal that Repatriation to the Moon is an unlikely love story.

“The story is about a janitor and an engineer who meet under circumstances of war, fall in love, and find home in each other,” Chris tells. “The whole story is about two people who are displaced and don’t have a home, and their search for home.”

“The background is really heavy and it’s drenched in history,” Peyton says. “It’s sorrowful to know that (the original) play was illegal and had to be performed underground, but in our show we do physical play and our focus is on humour. Our play is very fun and very light. One of the characters speaks Polish and the other speaks Italian, so the show is quite physical.”

With positive community interest in Chris and Peyton’s debut endeavour, tickets are already selling strong for the show that runs for four nights at Artspace. However, Repatriation to the Moon is only the beginning for Grassboots Theatre Company. The couple consider this a “workshop production” as they plan to produce Repatriation to the Moon on a bigger scale in the future.

Meanwhile, Peyton has a solo project called Hands she is working on in conjunction with Public Energy’s Alternating Currents, and the pair will be starring in Hannah Moscovitch’s Little One, directed by Lee Bolton, at the Peterborough Theatre Guild this coming October.

Through their ambition and positivity, Chis and Peyton have already created a solid buzz about Grassboots Theatre Company, and have made strong inroads to the arts community. It’s exciting to welcome new faces and talents in Peterborough to shake things up a little bit, and to continue to grow our community’s art culture.

Repatriation to the Moon is our opportunity, as a community, to welcome Chris and Peyton to Peterborough and to help support their vision for community theatre.

“We are so excited,” says Chris. “I sometimes wonder if this would be possible anywhere else. Peterborough has been so warm and welcoming.”

Repatriation to the Moon runs from Wednesday, August 14th to Saturday, August 17th at Artspace (378 Aylmer Rd., Peterborough). Performances begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 (free for children 12 and under) and can be purchased in advance at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4306306.

For more information about Grassboots Theatre Company, visit www.grassbootstheatre.com.

All those who think Dwayne Gretzky is simply a badly bungled reference to the greatest hockey player of all time, raise your hand.

You are not alone.

Outside of Toronto, where the live music collective by that name has built a huge and still growing following, the band’s infectious sound, collective talents, and music-for-the-pure-fun-of-it stage persona has eluded many for most of its eight-year existence.

A major step toward correcting that was taken last August when Dwayne Gretzky headlined Peterborough Musicfest and again more recently when the band was among several acts that opened The Rolling Stones’ concert on June 29th at the Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte.

Now Dwayne Gretzky returns to Del Crary Park on Wednesday, August 14th — the penultimate presentation of the current summer concert series. Admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free, thanks to the support of sponsors.

“When we began playing shows in Toronto, we didn’t have a band name,” recalls original band member Nick Rose in a July 2018 interview with Bill Bodkin of Pop Break.

“It didn’t really seem necessary somehow — we were just a bunch of friends playing covers for the fun of it. But then at one of our first shows somebody inevitably yelled out ‘What’s your band called?’ and I just replied ‘Dwayne Gretzky’ for a laugh. Honestly, it was just the first thing that popped into my head. A few days later somebody posted a video of us on YouTube and referred to us as Dwayne Gretzky and that was that.”

VIDEO: “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen performed by Dwayne Gretzky

Since day one, Dwayne Gretzky has brought new life to hit songs by a number of artists, delivering over-the-top renditions of more than 600 songs to date. But to simply term Dwayne Gretzky a cover band would be akin to describing Van Gogh as some Dutch guy who dabbled in art. The band puts its own unique spin on each song it performs, bringing their full talents to bear via their mastery of a number of instruments, including horns.

“We steer away from predictable cover band material and try to challenge ourselves by learning songs you don’t see a lot of bands doing,” Rose explains.

“It’s tough to pick favourites. You Can Call Me Al (by Paul Simon) is one that stands out for me, as is Under Pressure (by Queen), but it’s always fun to tackle something as epic as Bohemian Rhapsody or Manfred Mann’s version of Blinded By The Light.”

VIDEO: “S.O.S.” by ABBA performed by Dwayne Gretzky

In an April 2013 interview with Sara Harowitz of She Does The City, band members Allie Hughes and Robyn Hatch credit co-founder Tyler Kyte for his song selection.

“He (Kyte) is so good at keeping the energy flowing,” praises Hughes.

“A lot of work goes into the song choice — they’re all hits, they’re all songs that are known, but it won’t always be the obvious choice. Our audience leaves having had a good time. I think that has a lot to do with flow.”

“It’s almost like a narrative, choosing songs,” Hatch adds.

“When people ask what kind of covers we play, it’s hard to say. We really just try to find all of our favourite songs from the last 50 years and make them sound as authentic as possible.”

The formation of Dwayne Gretzky came about innocently enough.

VIDEO: “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac performed by Dwayne Gretzky

“Tyler and I were playing in an originals band called Sweet Thing that was kind of winding down,” notes Rose.

“We were both living in the same apartment building along with a few other musician friends of ours. We all befriended the superintendent who gave us access to his top-secret jam space in the basement. Most evenings we’d go down there and watch hockey and muck around playing Tom Petty songs and such.”

“Once we had learned enough songs for a set, we booked a couple shows just for the fun of it. It’s our full-time gig but the feeling has always remained the same: friends playing their favourite songs.”

VIDEO: “Just What I Needed” by The Cars performed by Dwayne Gretzky

That “friends” dynamic has been and remains key to the band’s success, according to Hughes and Hatch.

“It’s fun because it’s all your best friends,” says Hatch, with Hughes adding, “It’s such a good hang. I’m such a hermit that it’s like my social time. We all get along really well. And it’s so informative, as a music writer, learning new songs; you learn so much about writing good music.”

“I know there are some musicians who are like ‘A cover band?’ but all of us have no shame. It’s a lot tougher than people think. These are pop songs but a lot goes into them.”

According to Dwayne Gretzky’s website at www.dwaynegretzkyband.com, the band’s self-titled debut album will drop on August 23, 2019. In the months leading up to its release, a number of digital singles have teased what fans can expect, including an acoustic version of The Cars’ “Just What You Needed” and a fuller band take on The Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby”.

“We’re very fortunate that we get to do this as a full time gig — play our favourite songs with our best buds,” Rose says.

“We’ve got a really great group of people in this band and I’m very grateful for that. They’re all a bunch of sweethearts and there’s never a shortage of dumb jokes to go around.”

VIDEO: “Don’t Worry Baby” by The Beach Boys performed by Dwayne Gretzky

Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission, sponsor-supported concerts featuring a total of 21 acts during its 33rd season — each concert staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park.

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 or the entire 2019 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.

On Thursday, August 9th, 4th Line Theatre opened its second production of the summer with the world premiere of Carmel, written by Robert Winslow and Ian McLachlan.

The fifth collaboration between 4th Line Theatre founder Robert Winslow and local historian Ian McLachlan, Carmel weaves together both local and international history within a very human story of struggle, perseverance, friendship, and love.

Directed by Winslow, the play is the third entry in his and McLachlan’s series of plays about characters Billy Fiddler and Walter White, two Barnardo children — so named after philanthropist Dr. Thomas John Barnardo, who brought as many as 35,000 orphaned and poverty-stricken children to Canada from Great Britain between the 1870s and 1939.

Winslow and McLachlan first introduced Billy and Walter to audiences in the successful 2005 production Doctor Barnardo’s Children, which was restaged in 2014. This was followed in 2014 by the second play in the series, Wounded Soldiers, which recounted Billy’s experience (and its aftermath) as a Canadian soldier in World War I.

Carmel picks up Billy and Walter’s story in the late 1930s during the height of the Great Depression. Billy (Jonathan Shatzky), accompanied by his travelling companion Thomas Fortune (Danny Waugh), returns as a transient worker to the Kawarthas, where his childhood friend Walter (Kevin Bundy) is raising a family with his strong-willed wife Abagail (Kristina Nicholl) on a farm located on Carmel Line in Cavan.

The main storyline focuses on Walter and Abagail’s ongoing efforts to save their farm from the clutches of the bank, in particular the devious Delbert Grey (JD Nicholsen). Along the way, the play also explores the real-life plight of local workers at Peterborough’s Bonnerworth textile mill and delves into the Spanish Civil War.

On the surface, Carmel is about class struggle during the Great Depression and the conflict between the “haves” and the “have nots.” It’s about farmers versus banks and workers versus big business. But more than that, Carmel is about the bonds of community, and the strength and love found in family and friends during difficult times of trouble and tragedy.

While the previous Barnardo shows have focused on Billy, Carmel changes gears by focusing on the life of Walter with Billy moving into the background as a supporting character. Kevin Bundy plays Walter as good man respected by his community, but living in the shadows of his past.

Walter and his wife Abagail are surrounded by the love and loyalty of their family, including Abagail’s brother Les (Mark Hiscox) and sister Audrey (Melissa Payne), as well as their daughter Ruth (Asha Hall-Smith) and young sons Garnet and James (Saoirse and Riordan MacQuarrie).

Although life is not perfect for the Whites, moments of tenderness between Walter and Abagail are seen throughout the show, illustrating the strength of their love and establishing Walter as the patriarch of the family with Abagail as the brains and emotional backbone of the household.

Jonathan Shatzky and celebrated local musician Melissa Payne are featured in a secondary plot as Billy and Audrey join together in song when the play focuses on the formation of a union within Peterborough.

While Jonathan is an experienced actor making his debut at 4th Line, this is Melissa’s first foray into theatre. The majority of Jonathan and Melissa’s scenes involve folk music, which went hand in hand with the labour movement went during the 1930s.

The pair performs a number of original songs written by Justin Hiscox with highlights being “Song of the Banker”, “You Love, and I”, “The 9:15” and “Market Day in Guernica”, which explores the tragic event in Spanish history immortalized by Pablo Picasso’s iconic painting.

Danny Waugh gives a strong character performance as Thomas Fortune who, like Billy, has been constantly travelling in search of a place to call home. While he quickly gains the trust of the White family, Thomas’ story arc illustrates how racial prejudices make him an outsider in the community, causing him difficulty in laying down roots.

JD Nicholsen also creates an interesting adversary in small-town banker Dilbert Gray. Dilbert goes beyond being the stereotypical Depression-era banker villain by introducing his own insidious ulterior motives that make the audience’s collective skin crawl.

The biggest shout out goes to young actress Asha Hall-Smith, who plays the show’s narrator and is the audience’s guide through the drama. Although Asha has appeared in shows before, this is the first time I have seen her as a central character, and she takes on a big responsibility with a ton of likeable spunk and zeal.

Carmel‘s connections to the two previous Barnardo plays are purely superficial, so the show doesn’t get bogged down with backstory for audience members who haven’t seen the previous productions. For those in the audience who are familiar with the previous two plays, they can revisit these characters with fresh eyes.

Furthermore, the previous Barnardo plays have ventured into some very dark territory. Although Carmel has its share of tragedy, it never heads down the bleak paths the other shows have. This makes Carmel the kind of traditional summer show on which 4th Line Theatre has built its reputation: light drama and likeable characters with a touch of history.

Carmel runs Tuesday through Saturdays at 6 p.m. until August 31st at the Winslow Farm (779 Zion Line, Millbrook), with an additional performance on Monday, August 25th. Advance tickets can be purchased by phone at 705-932-4445, online at www.4thlinetheatre.ca, at 4th Line Theatre’s box office in Millbrook at 4 Tupper Street and in Peterborough at the Peterborough Museum and Archives at 300 Hunter Street East (atop Armour Hill).

Tickets can also be purchased from 4 to 6 p.m. on performance nights at the Winslow Farm, subject to availability.

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 8 to Wednesday, August 14.

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.

Thunder will roll in on August 10th at Del Crary Park — but you can leave your umbrella at home.

On that Saturday night, Peterborough Musicfest patrons won’t have to worry about what’s over their heads. Instead their ears will be pounded by the guitar-driven, bass-thumping signature sound of Australian rock band AC/DC as served up by Thunderstruck — the third and final tribute act presented by the summer concert series as part of its 33rd season.

Admission to the 8 p.m concert is free, thanks to the support of sponsors.

Formed in 2001 “from the ashes of other AC/DC tribute bands,” Toronto-based Thunderstruck captures the over-the-top energy that is the trademark of the Young brothers-founded band that has sold more than 200 million records.

What started out as a weekend gig close to band members’ homes is still going strong as a part-time gig close to 20 years later — a period which has seen Thunderstruck tour across Canada and the United States as well as on entertain on cruise ships.

“The power of Thunderstruck mirrors the pure strength, energy, and sound of a live AC/DC show,” says lead vocalist Blair Briceland in an interview with Glenda Fordham of Fordham PR. “We formed in 2001 and have been touring for almost 16 years. We perform as detailed impersonations of each band member which includes the authentic guitars, amps, drums, and the trademark school boy outfit.”

The band — whose other members are Rich Trevor on lead guitar, Chris Newman on rhythm guitar, Pete Stewart on bass guitar, and Niall Mellors on drums — has even toured with AC/DC’s very first vocalist Dave Evans, who sang with the band for one year in 1973, appearing on their debut single, before being fired and replaced with Bon Scott.

VIDEO: “If You Want Blood” by AC/DC performed by Thunderstruck

VIDEO: “TNT” by AC/DC performed by Thunderstruck

VIDEO: “Let There Be Rock” by AC/DC performed by Thunderstruck

Fans of AC/DC — there remains millions worldwide — can expect the straight ahead, no-holds-barred sound the Australian rock band has brought around the globe since 1973 via signature hits such as “Highway To Hell”, “You Shook Me All Night Long”, “TNT”, “Back In Black”, “Hell’s Bells” and, of course, “Thunderstruck”, to name but a few song choices.

In choosing Thunderstruck as its name, the quintet selected a rock anthem that, via its hypnotic “thunder” chant and guitarist Angus Young’s trademark song-opening riff, solidified AC/DC’s rightful place as the ultimate good time party band. Those looking for something deep both lyrically and musically, be warned: this is all about rock music for the sheer fun of it.

The lead single from AC/DC’s 1990 album The Razors Edge, “Thunderstruck” peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks listing and was platinum certified in Canada. Since being made available via digital download, the track has sold more than a million copies.

“It started off from a little trick I had on guitar,” recalls Young in the liner notes for the 2003 re-release of The Razors Edge.

“I played it to Mal (his brother Malcolm Young) and he said ‘Oh, I’ve got a good rhythm idea that will sit well in the back.’ We built the song up from that. We fiddled about with it for a few months before everything fell into place. Lyrically, it was really just a case of finding a good title. We came up with this thunder thing, based on our favorite childhood toy ThunderStreak and it seemed to have a good ring to it. AC/DC equals power. That’s the basic idea.”

Since the AC/DC’s 1973 inception, Angus Young has made wearing a school uniform, complete with a backpack, a very cool thing. While that visual has been and remains entertaining, there’s a lot of substance here, as evidenced by the band’s enduring success and corresponding tributes from around the world, including the band’s 2003 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

VIDEO: “Thunderstruck” – AC/DC

VIDEO: “Highway to Hell” – AC/DC

VIDEO: “You Shook Me All Night Long” – AC/DC

AC/DC, which has recorded 17 studio albums to date, survived the 1980 death of lead singer Bon Scott, who died of acute alcohol poisoning. The band didn’t miss a beat, enlisting Brian Johnson as its front man and subsequently enjoying continued recording and touring success.

Since the 2016 departure of Johnson and the death of Malcolm Young the following year following a lengthy illness, the band has been comprised of brothers Angus and Stevie Young along with Chris Slade and, having joined them to finish out a 2016 tour, Guns ‘n’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose.

At present, there is talk of a new album being recorded followed by a tour — perhaps with Johnson back in the mix.

Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission, sponsor-supported concerts featuring a total of 21 acts during its 33rd season — each concert staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights at Del Crary Park.

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 or the entire 2019 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.