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Winnipeg Free Press
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fringe reviews 12: You blink and the clown is closer
CHASE PADGETT: HOW TO PLAY GUITAR POORLY Chase Padgett PTE — Cherry Karpyshin Mainstage (Venue 16), to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fringe favourite Chase Padgett returns with a powerful new show with a title that is both true and serves as a slight misdirection: sure, if you follow his eight rules for playing guitar poorly (make it hard to access, never express joy, don't learn theory, etc), you will stink on the six-string, but if you do exactly the opposite of what he says, you can succeed in doing what you love. Padgett's (6 Guitars, Nashville Hurricane) latest one-man performance is his most personal yet, as the Naples, Fla., native relates in gripping detail his relationships with his father and his musical mentor, along with his rise to small-F fame and lack of fortune. The 42-year-old has a music degree and is a master storyteller, weaving heartwarming and heart-wrenching tales from his life in with original songs and some poignant covers. The 60-minute show spans the entire emotional spectrum and will have you laughing, crying and thinking more about how interesting construction cranes are. — Rob Williams DIVORCE CLUB TBA Productions John Hirsch Mainstage (Venue 1), to Saturday ⭐⭐ ½ Things get tense among the women in Divorce Club when one of the jilted ladies brings in a new member — a man. A man who isn't who he says, but the group isn't exactly what it seems, either. This hour-long comedy from a local company is steeped in white wine and clichés; the women here are bitter and out for blood, mostly that of the 'newer models' their husbands 'traded them in for.' (Groan.) While there are a few laugh-out-loud moments, thanks mostly to Shannon McCarroll, who brings a Sophia-from-Golden-Girls deadpan to her performance as club VP Katherine, the other actors' performances are often too straight for the play's soapy premise. Some lines are flat, as if being read, and the whole thing suffers from odd, distracting blocking. This one could be really fun if its actors leaned into the silly. — Jen Zoratti FINDING RICHARD CLOSE So I Guess We're Doing This? Theatre Company Asper Centre for Theatre and Film (Venue 10), to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐ ½ Lisa Habermehl is a real-life family doctor whose original intent was to write a comedy, but as she explains in the show's digital program, the mother dying offstage presented a real challenge. But humour is a most solid companion on the road to death, both in life and onstage with this Kenora, Ont.-based company. Ethan (Jonny Grek) and Maryn (Habermehl) have not seen each other since she, the eldest, left her brother and mother in a huff decades before. Ethan has summoned her and husband (Derek Favreau) to London, England, as their unmotherly mother breathes her last. The painful gulf between these siblings gets mended as they accept her written command to find Richard Close and the answers to many questions. Brief moments of stiffness aside, the production is warm, very funny and deeply moving. Also of note: the spartan set, composed of two doorways, is ingenious; the mother's feather trimmed fuchsia dressing gown deserves its own acting credit; and that great music played before the show is by another Kenora star, Jackson Klippenstein. — Denise Duguay THE GOOSE Tin Fish The Gargoyle Theatre (Venue 25), to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Transposing a Japanese folk tale, The Crane Wife, to a drought-ridden prairie farm in the Dirty '30s, this three-person drama weaves a transcendent spell. Winnipeg writer-director Ellen Peterson beautifully renders a haunting story that resonates with mythological power (sounding some echoes of Swan Lake). The evocative acoustic score by Lloyd Peterson, exquisite visual and sound effects and superb performances coalesce into a breathtaking whole. After a gentle farmer (Delf Gravert) finds a trapped goose and sets it free, he meets and marries a strange, naive young woman, unaware that she's the bird in human form. The new bride tries valiantly to please her hardbitten mother-in-law (Maggie Nagel) and begins weaving in seclusion to support the household. The hour-long tale metaphorically suggests the struggle of a foreign-born wife to adapt to a new culture. Gwendolyn Collins is simply stunning — and very funny when she tries to suppress her honk — as the endearingly skittish goose-woman who asks so little and sacrifices so much. — Alison Mayes THE ILLUSIONARY MAGIC OF SITRUC JAMES PTE — Colin Jackson Studio (Venue 17), to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐ ½ Illusionist Sitric James, from the presumably magical place of Riceton, Sask, practises old-school magic. When was the last time you saw a fringe wizard with a spangly-clad assistant? The tricks are very traditional: the linking metal rings, the sawing-a-woman-in-half trick and the Zig-Zag Girl. (Shout-out to the assistant 'Sarah,' whose own talents are necessarily secret but invaluable to the show.) James has a big, blustery manner as one would expect from a traditional showman. He will require volunteers from the audience, and he handles children with ease, but he is not above the sly aside delivered to adults. You can't blame him. When viewed live, it turns out the trappings of traditional magic are a tad kinky, what with people being tied up and strapped down. — Randall King INSTANT MODERN CLASSIC The Improv Company PTE – Cherry Karpyshin Mainstage (Venue 16), to Saturday ⭐⭐⭐ A skilled group of local and American improv veterans presents what maestro Stephen Sim promises to be a made-up-on-the-spot production that will feel like a real play, decided on a show-by-show basis after a conversation with the audience. Saturday's performance turned into a family drama called The Condo, revolving around sisters Jessica (Kerri Woloszyn), Cynthia (Caity Curtis) and Margie (Jeannine Clarke), whose father (Sim) has signed the condo they all live in over to the catty Cynthia on sweet Jessica's birthday. Naturally, this proves problematic. Along the way we meet Margie's one-night-stand Dough (Kevin Ramberran), who provides the much-needed comic relief, and Kevin (Tony Beeman), Jessica's ex, who throws out some of the best lines. The characters were well-defined, but the story couldn't match the talent of the cast, and the two big reveals were unsatisfactory. But the next show is going to be completely different, so there could be a modern classic presented at some point. — Rob Williams JULIUS CAESAR Indifferently Reformed Asper Centre for Theatre & Film (Venue 10), to Saturday ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½ 'I love the people and the people love me!' These words, brayed by this local company's title character, are the Trumpian icing on the chilling cake of this perfectly timed Shakespearean adaptation. But while this tragedy eerily benefits from the headlines about MAGA turning on the U.S. president over the release of the Epstein files, the work of this sharp-dressed troupe stands on its own powerful talent. In modern dress, and trimmed to fit 75 minutes, it asks and partially answers the question of how to challenge unchecked power and ambition. Spoiler alert: nobody here wins, certainly not Caesar, played with sinister slapstick by Cole Recksiedler; not onetime devotee Brutus, portrayed on the knife edge of moral outrage and devotion to democratic ideals by Isabella Lischka; or even Ben Robertson's deliciously drawling Marc Antony. All hail this Caesar. Make sure to go early, to enjoy the pre-show cable-news-channel-style video clips that help establish the characters. Quibble: the seats in the Asper Centre really rock, and not in a good way. — Denise Duguay A PETE SEEGER TRIBUTE Woody's Choice Centre culturel franco-manitobain (Venue 4), to Saturday ⭐⭐⭐ Diehard folkies will love this musical tribute. Winnipeg band Woody's Choice — Gary Watkins (banjo/guitar/vocals), Beverly Solomon (guitar/vocals), Jim Waterous (bass/vocals), and Linda Cassell (percussion/vocals) — pays homage to American folksinger Peter Seeger with such iconic hits as We Shall Overcome, Where Have All the Flowers Gone and If I Had a Hammer. Watkins sets up each of the tunes with lore; more of his personal stories, including his volunteering on Seeger's sloop, would have made this a more compelling show. The 10 songs (out an intended setlist of 12) often felt overly homogenous, lacking the passionate zeal of a political activist. A few technical glitches with the visual projections also marred the overall performance, with the house lights virtually on throughout, making the audience participation/sing-along numbers painfully self-conscious. An in over 10 years of fringe reviewing, this reviewer has never had a curtain literally closed on performers attempting to deliver their final number, with audience members filing out as the band played on. — Holly Harris SAINTS & SINNERS Crosseyed Rascals One88 (Venue 23), to Saturday ⭐⭐ ½ Right on brand with this year's fringe marketing campaign, Winnipeg's Crosseyed Rascals have locked in for their Choose Your Own Adventure clean improv show. The 60-minute performance commences with the audience calling out suggestions, landing on five scenes to be acted by five of the 'rascals,' who are subsequently voted out by the audience each round. Following the completion of each round of scenes, the troupe dives into a 'mini game' style of improv. While this format allows for ample audience participation, it also allots the majority of time to scenes not worth playing out. The troupe's members do their best to get creative with the audience's input but occasionally gets in their own way of bringing those ideas to a natural conclusion. Whether it be by not rolling with the punches or hesitating to commit to a storyline with the most interesting or comical outcome, these approaches left scenes losing momentum and laughs. (Note: last-night shows welcome 'dirty' guest improvisers for a saints-vs.-sinners improv battle.) — Nadya Pankiw TRAGEDY OR TRIUMPH: AN IMPROVISED SHAKESPEAREAN EPIC The Spontaneous Shakespeare Company MTC Mainstage (Venue 1), to Sunday ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This seven-member troupe from Vancouver (travel budget — ouch!) came all the way to the Winnipeg fringe with neither script nor plot — and it's amazing. Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. They begin by asking audience members to recount a recent minor mishap. At Saturday's show, a Transcona dental hygenist related that she was late for her job after getting stuck at a train crossing. And zounds! The company doth live up to its name, as the tale of a mother and son yearning to leave London town for the wonderous Transcona crosses paths with Elizabethan-era dentists at the dawn of the profession, a team of travelling tooth-sellers, and the Tooth Fairie Queen and her minion, Cobweb. All the iconic Shakespearean devices are there: Meddling fairies, magical spells gone wrong, clashes between the classes, and passionate romance. It's all hilariously improvised with Shakespearean-style speech and in rhyming couplets. Get ye hence with haste, before time runneth out. — Janice Sawka
North Wales Live
2 days ago
- Health
- North Wales Live
The little boy who was utterly failed by the very people who should have loved and cared for him
He was the boy who was let down on all sides. His mother, grandmother and grandfather were all directly culpable - and health visitors and social workers were unable to halt the countdown to disaster. Deviousness on the doorstep regarding Ethan's real condition and some of the pandemic restrictions due to Covid-19 all contributed in the failure to stop the downward spiral for the innocent two-year-old. It culminated in a belated and frantic 999 call by grandmother Kerry Ives after Ethan's second collapse on August 14, 2021. But she had still felt it necessary to Facetime one of her daughters for advice first, creating an unfathomable, 18-minute delay. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here During the trial, a paediatric neurosurgeon Dr Jayaratnam Jayamohan said that that delay would 'probably' have made no difference to the outcome for the emaciated, brown-haired toddler. By that point it was simply too late. He said the head injury could have been caused by an impact. He said it could have been from 'either some object moving to hit the right side of Ethan's head, or Ethan's head moving to hit an object. "It could be a fist, a hand or a knee or it could be an object that you pick up', or from Ethan being shaken, or both," he told the jury. During the 999 call, the call handler told Kerry Ives to get someone to collect a defibrillator from a yellow cabinet on the front wall of a pharmacy on Welsh Road. Michael Ives then "flew" outside to collect it to save the malnourished tot - likely not motivated by genuine concern for Ethan but only the potential consequences that would come for himself. Soon the ambulance arrived at 44 Kingsley Road. Doorbell footage showed a paramedic entering and coming out carrying the limp, thin Ethan to the waiting ambulance that night. That clip left an indelible mark on the minds of many in court. No stretcher was required - he was that small. The tot had sustained 40 marks and bruises which Michael Ives claimed was surprising. He died in Alder Hey children's hospital on Merseyside on August 16 with experienced Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers citing blunt force injuries. He had probably been punched in the abdomen, he concluded. There was bleeding in two areas of his abdomen which spread to bleeding on the brain, brain stem and down his spinal cord. Dr Rodgers said: "This type of pathology is related to severe trauma, severe force, likely to be seen in a high speed road traffic collision. You are not going to get this bleeding and spinal injury from a low level force. "(Or) you'd have to fall from a great height - three, four, five storeys from a balcony" (to have Ethan's injuries). 'It's like someone has been punched in the guts,' he said in court. Yet the jury of seven women and five men heard Ethan had once been a lively even chubby boy - 'a little chump', according to his mum Shannon Ives. For various reasons, he ended up with his grandparents in Garden City. Footage showed him playing in the garden, on a trampoline and in a paddling pool - known to the family as the swimming pool. The irony was that this family footage was eventually used by the prosecution to convict them, as it revealed their grisly cruelty. Michael Ives intimated Ethan should be punched, forced the lad to put his hands on his head as 'punishment' for over 40 minutes on one occasion, (as he needed to learn 'the hard way'), and callously let him lie on the bouncy surface with activity around him. All were signs of the unfolding cruelty. Once North Wales Police got involved Michael claimed he was 'ashamed' and 'disgusted' with himself. He particularly regretted dragging Ethan by one arm on several occasions from the trampoline or to the car. But this apparent shame and disgust came too late to save the little boy. As for Ethan's mother Shannon, she claimed she was too 'scared' to report her Dad to the authorities - fearing his reaction. She said she 'hated' her Dad for what he did to Ethan. She coldly calls her parents 'Michael and Kerry'. She and her siblings had been subjected to corporal punishment as children by their parents, according to her and her brother Josh. Shannon also claimed she didn't want to go back to the home she once shared with Ethan's Dad Will Griffiths in Mold - that's partly why she ended up in Kingsley Road. Shannon told her defence barrister Gordon Cole KC that in one troubling incident - in which Michael walks with an exaggeratedly wide gait behind his grandson along the path into their house on August 13 that Michael Ives was "mimicking Ethan". Shannon said she was smiling because she "didn't know what he was doing' at first. "Looking back he was obviously taking the p*** out of Ethan," Shannon Ives admitted. On the night August 14 when Ethan collapsed her Dad Michael said his legs had gone like 'jelly' and he carried him into the garden, as the adults tried to revive Ethan. Soon afterwards Shannon said she realised her mum Kerry was on the phone to her sister Nicole. Shannon said she asked 'What are you doing? What are you not ringing an ambulance?' And Shannon said Michael said 'Just ring an ambulance'. Later Shannon said she saw Ethan at Alder Hey children's hospital. He had tubes coming out of him and a bandage around his head. She was in a 'really bad state…upset and crying and wondering what had happened to Ethan,' the court heard. Shannon too let Ethan down. She herself acknowledged she put her son "at risk of serious harm" by not leaving. She tried and failed to do so the night before his fatal collapse. She said her parents "threatened her with social services" if she exposed the cruelty. Ultimately, she said as a mum she let Ethan down during a tearful exchange with prosecutor Caroline Rees KC in courtroom No. 1. She wasn't the only one.
Cedar News
5 days ago
- Cedar News
Ethan Carter Shooting: Michigan Teen Survives Targeted Attack in Birmingham
Ethan Carter, an 18-year-old football player from Michigan, survived a brutal Ethan Carter shooting incident after being shot seven times during a gun sale setup in Birmingham, Alabama, last Saturday night. His father believes the attack was a targeted attempt to rob and kill him. The Ethan Carter shooting happened shortly before 6 p.m. near Winchester Drive and Ridgewood Circle on Birmingham's east side. Carter was trying to buy a Glock firearm arranged through social media when the attack took place. Police have confirmed there was no indication the sale was illegal. Ethan Carter shootin Brian Carter described the Ethan Carter shooting as a 'flat-out setup,' saying those involved intended to rob and leave Ethan for dead. Ethan was hit in the skull, hand, arm, and chest but miraculously survived. He was rushed to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries and was released Tuesday to continue his recovery in Michigan. Ethan recently graduated from Hudsonville High School and is committed to play football at Davenport University. Since 2021, he has trained in Birmingham at Step by Step Sports Training and stays with a host family close to the Carters. Brian praised Ethan's character, calling him 'one of the most giving, loving, tenderhearted people you will ever meet' and 'a natural born leader.' During the Ethan Carter shooting, Ethan was contacted on Snapchat by an unknown seller. Despite warnings from a local woman, he proceeded to the meeting where attackers opened fire. Ethan escaped on foot with help from bystanders. The suspects fled in Ethan's car, later found burned. No arrests have been made. Doctors described Ethan's survival as miraculous, with injuries that should have been fatal. Anyone with information about the Ethan Carter shooting is urged to contact Birmingham robbery detectives at 205-254-1753 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Acts of defiance, flares and a committed audience bring a rock 'n' roll spirit to Heaton Park for third Oasis gig
The day started with reports of fences, felled trees, and travel warnings - but it ended with a night of fan adoration, jubilant spirits and even an occasional bit of sunshine at Heaton Park. This evening, Oasis continued their triumphant homecoming show at the Prestwich beauty spot following two big shows last weekend. The first, and only, mid-week show for the band in Manchester, fans were advised ahead of time to expect journeys to take longer due to big queues and advised to completely avoid a two-hour window if possible. READ MORE: "We have waited for the Oasis reunion for years... our £700 was essentially spent on thin air" READ MORE: Oasis Heaton Park LIVE: Fans party in streets as Gallagher brothers perform triumphant third show- latest updates But an effective queuing system at Victoria Station meant that whilst some fans did line the streets, they were swiftly sent upon their way to Heaton Park without much fuss. Tonight's show (July 16), which had a reduced capacity of 50,000 compared to 80,000 at the weekend gigs, was also marked by acts of defiance from the council. An area close to the stage area at Heaton Park, affectionately named 'Gallagher Hill' by fans, became a hotspot for ticketless fans at the weekend. But those wanting to recreate their own renditions alongside restricted views of Liam and Noel through gaps in trees were told by Manchester Council to avoid the area completely if they didn't have a ticket. Steel fencing was also erected in the large area within the cattle field in the main park, which is currently being developed as a new woodland area. It led some fans to accuse organisers of 'gatekeeping at its finest'. The erection of the fencing was put in place both 'to protect the environment from further damage' and to 'dissuade people from gathering there', with the concert no longer viewable from the area for non ticket-holders. But, despite the council's pleas and despite being unable to see any of the stage, fans still gathered by the fences to enjoy the sounds of the Gallagher's as they belted out the likes of megahits Live Forever and Rock N Roll Star - with those in attendance bringing out deck chairs, picnic blankets and even deck chairs for the occasion. Ellie and Ethan have differing opinions on the barriers that have been installed. Ellie didn't get tickets, she said: 'I'm not bothered [about the fences]," fan Ellie said at 'Gallagher Hill'. "Those people paid for their tickets so they should see it.' Ethan, who was at Friday's show and has returned to camp out at the gathering spot added: "It's rubbish, nobody was doing any harm." Halfway through the show, 'Gallagher Hill' lit up with colourful flares as fans took their adoration for Oasis to the next level. At pubs across the road from Heaton Park, fans were also seen in beer gardens singing and dancing along to the sounds of the band. Despite it being a Wednesday, fans with tickets to today's show turned up in town early once again to soak up the atmosphere in the city. With bars hosting Oasis-themed takeovers, and pop-ups continuing to sell the band's latest merch, alongside much-less-rain than yesterday, the rock and roll attitude was in full effect. Alongside seas of bucket hats, fans also got creative with their outfits with one fan, Eri Fukamachi, having flown all the way from Osaka in Japan for tonight's show. Making most of the occasion, Eri was also dressed in her very own custom-made Oasis kimono for the gig. Fan Megan, who attended the show with her friends Elizabeth, Lauren, Nicole, Holly and Alison, said she was always going to be seeing the band in Manchester for this tour - and was prepared to do whatever it took to do so. "I've said that if I had to sell a kidney to watch them again I'd do it," she joked outside the venue ahead of the show. "I've still got my kidney but I've paid over the odds for this.' Another fan, Andy, who was enjoying the all-day Oasis party at The Woodthorpe pub on Bury Old Road before heading to Heaton Park for the show, also celebrated his birthday today - having travelled from Wrexham for this evening's show despite only getting his tickets at the weekend. "I've been waiting 30 years for this," he explained. "I paid a lot of money for the tickets. We only got them on Saturday, but it's worth every penny!' As Oasis headed out on stage bang on 8.15pm this evening, Liam started with his usual roll call of 'Oasis vibes in the area, Manchester vibes in the area', before breaking out into songs like Hello, Morning Glory, Some Might Say and Cigarettes & Alcohol, it was a romp through 23 hits made up of classic anthems, B-sides and fan favourites. Like at the last Oasis show, Liam also took a moment to throw some banter towards Manchester United fans as he told crowds it was 'Poznan time', encouraging them to join in a salute which has become commonly associated with City. He said: "United fans, just get ****ing involved. Stop sulking." He then added: "Let's have it."
Leader Live
6 days ago
- Leader Live
NSPCC comment on Ethan Ives-Griffiths murder trial verdict
Michael Ives, 47 and Kerry Ives, 46, both of Kingsley Road, Garden City, Deeside, have today (July 15) been convicted of murdering two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths. Ethan's mother, Shannon Ives, 28, of Nant Garmon, Mold was convicted of causing or allowing his death. All three were all found guilty of cruelty to a child. A trial has taken place over six weeks at Mold Crown Court following the toddler's death in August 2021. Shannon Ives, Michael Ives and Kerry Ives (Image: North Wales Police) The jury deliberated for almost seven hours before returning a unanimous verdict. Following the guilty verdict returned by the jury, North Wales Police and Ethan's father spoke outside of court. Now, the children's charity has said "no stone must be left unturned" in establishing whether more could've been done to save Ethan. Carl Harris, Assistant Director at NSPCC Cymru, said: 'As grandparents to Ethan, Michael and Kerry Ives should have been there to love and protect him. "Instead, they subjected the little boy to an appalling campaign of neglect and abuse leading up to the brutal final attack which killed him. RELATED READING: 'While this was happening, Shannon Ives did not shield her son from her parents and take him out of harm's way. She also treated him cruelly herself. 'The Child Practice Review must leave no stone unturned in establishing whether more could have been done by professionals to protect Ethan, and any recommendations must be fully taken onboard to help safeguard children in the future.' 'We can all look out for children's welfare, and anyone concerned about a child can call the NSPCC free helpline on 0808 800 5000, or email help@ If a child is in immediate danger, please call 999.'
