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Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
101 Dalmatians
This review is from 101 Dalmatians' original 2022 run at the Open Air Theatre. It returns to the Hammersmith Apollo for a summer 2025 run starring Sydnie Christmas as Cruella de Vil. Adapted direct from Dodie Smith's 1956 kids' book – ie, absolute not a Disney production – '101 Dalmatians' is a scrappy affair. It's the first ever original musical from the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, and it boasts charming puppetry, big-name writers and a scream of a turn from Kate Fleetwood as the evil Cruella de Vil. But by the towering standards of the OAT – known for its revelatory musical revivals – it's pretty uneven. If you just view it as a fun kids' show, you'd be more forgiving. In fact, I was pretty forgiving: I skipped press night and took my children the following afternoon. However, I wouldn't say it's really been pushed as a show for youngsters: historically the OAT's musicals are aimed at an adult audience, the evening finish is certainly too late for my children, and the foregrounding of Fleetwood's villainous Cruella de Vil in the publicity recalls Disney's more adult-orientated spin-off film of last year ('Cruella'). Anyway: my kids had fun at Timothy Sheader's production. I mean, it starts with a protracted bottom-sniffing scene, for crying out loud, as grown-up dalmatians Pongo (Danny Collins and Ben Thompson) and Perdi (Emma Lucia and Yana Penrose) meet for the first time, give each other a good honk up the backside, fall in love and nudge their bookish, introverted human owners Dominic (Eric Stroud) and Danielle (Karen Fishwick) into starting a relationship. Skip forward a bit and humans and hounds have moved in together, and the latter have produced 15 babies. Uber puppet designer and director Toby Olié's spotty pooches are proper showstoppers: Pongo and Perdi have large, mobile forebodies operated by a puppeteer and hind legs shared with the human actor who speaks their lines: Emma Lucia is particularly charming as a compassionate, north-eastern Perdi. The innumerable puppies are generally just represented by their heads… and they're jolly sweet, too. In Johnny McKnight's stage adaptation of Zinnie Harris's contemporary update, the canine idyll is punctured by the arrival of Fleetwood's De Vil, a psychopathic influencer who is, by and large, extremely funny as she self-pityingly inveigles her way into our heroes' lives, then persuades herself she absolutely must have – and deserves – a dalmatian-puppy-skin coat. With a succession of increasingly frightening fright wigs, her forever remarkable cheekbones, and some full-on panto-villain vibes, Fleetwood is an absolute joy. She's also the focal point of the most visually imaginative moments of Sheader's production: a spirited, cartoon-style attempt to use puppetry to look like her hair and arms have popped out after she swallows a dodgy potion; and most impressively, a tableau at the end of the first half where the dancers line up in formation behind her to form the giant puppyskin coat of her fantasies (there's deliciously lurid costume design from Katrina Lindsay). Lots of positives, then, but as a whole, it feels pretty all over the shop. Much as Harris has updated the story, neither she nor McKnight have solved its problems: the abrupt second-half switch of focus to a group of child actors playing a quartet of escaped puppies is tonally disorientating and lays an awful lot of pressure on some very young performers. Even taking that on the chin as a necessity of the story, there were too many moments when I struggled to work out exactly what was going on (Cruella's initial capture of Pongo and Perdi, for instance, was baffling – she seemingly only managed to abduct them from their home because a scene change happened around them). There's also simply a dearth of memorable characters beyond Cruella: Perdi is lovely, but her aside it's hard to feel especially invested in the bland good guys (beyond the obvious fact that skinning puppies is bad). And while stage legend Douglas Hodge's wordy, string-and-brass-heavy songs are pleasant and good at keeping the story ticking along, there's a lack of killer tunes that might have compensated for other shortcomings – although the joyous finale 'One Hundred and One' is a keeper. My kids didn't care about any of this: they enjoyed two hours of a lighthearted good vs evil yarn with some cool puppets and a boo-hissable villain. They didn't worry about the merits of '101 Dalmatians' as a musical for the ages. And if you can take the same attitude, you'll have a blast, or at least you'll have a blast in the good bits. But ultimately the Open Air Theatre is one of the best musical theatre venues in London, and by its own extremely lofty standards, '101 Dalmatians' is a bit of a dog's dinner.
CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Sask. auditor's latest report urges action on opioid crisis, transitional housing
The latest report from Saskatchewan's provincial auditor outlines concerns around the growing opioid crisis, transitional housing for victims in interpersonal violence and oversight of school divisions. Tara Clemett spoke about her findings at a news conference Tuesday. Clemett pointed to the rise in drug toxicity deaths across the province due to the prevalent use of substances like fentanyl. She said people trying to get into outpatient treatment programs including Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) and Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) — directly operated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) — are having to wait. According to a release from the Clemett's office, patients seeking treatment waited an average of four days in Kamsack, nearly five days in Saskatoon and just over a day in Regina. Good practice recommends clients wait no more than three days, the release added. "When we did our own testing, we did find Saskatoon and Kamsack are not necessarily hitting good practice in terms of someone coming to seek help from a prescriber and seeing them within three days," Clemett said. "The authority needs that information so it can make decisions and know where there might be gaps." Clemett also found Lloydminster and Estevan, which don't have OAT programs, saw local increases in drug toxicity deaths from 2022 to 2024 over previous periods. Clemett recommended that the SHA implement a centralized IT system and centralized standards to work toward more accessible treatment services. "Ultimately, you would hope that would have a positive impact when it does come to them being able to live," she said. School division safeguards Clemett also found financial discrepancies within the education system. She said 19 of 27 school divisions should have more financial safeguards in place, especially when it comes to journal entries and electronic fund transfers. Many schools across the province allow one person to oversee all financial records, increasing the chance for error or hidden information, Clemett said. "We would always want those to be independently reviewed and approved," she said. The report also pointed out that 14 independent religious schools in Saskatchewan do not require certified teachers. She questioned if students enrolled in these independent schools are getting an effective education. "From our perspective, in the event that the ministry is going to allow these schools to have teachers that aren't necessarily certified, they should be doing a better job of monitoring overall student achievement," Clemett said. Transitional housing Transitional housing for interpersonal violence victims was also top of mind for Clemett on Tuesday. Saskatchewan has one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in the country, her report says. While there is transitional housing across the province, the funding varies from one house to the next. Clemett said the government has no substantial reasoning as to why one transition house may receive more funding than another. She referred to Regina and Swift Current, which each have funded transition houses with equal bed numbers, but funding differed by more than $200,000 in 2024–25. "There is a limited pot of money here in terms of what can go around, to some degree, to transition space," Clemett said. "So you just want to make sure that you're probably providing the money to the right facilities that really need the help, so that they can serve the people that are looking for safe shelter." The province's Opposition NDP also made its concerns about the auditor's findings known Tuesday. Meara Conway, NDP deputy House Leader and critic for rural and remote health, and ethics and democracy, reiterated the issues around interpersonal violence and lack of access to services in the midst of the province's opioid crisis. She said there is a lack of access to methadone, which increases the likelihood of opioid relapse and deters people from treatment. There is also a lack of information for the vulnerable when it comes to accessing treatment and shelters, Conway said. "We'll continue to see the drug crisis get worse because we have a government that has continuously politicized this crisis instead of roll up their sleeves, meet people where they're at and, you know, provide a range of services where and when people need them."
Time Out
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The best open air theatre shows to see in London this summer
I'm Andrzej, the theatre editor at Time Out, and as I type this we're having a balmy early May and nothing on the planet seems as wonderful as the London open air theatre season, which has just begun. Obviously it's not going to last, but open air season is – as much as anything else – an annual act of defiance of the English weather, and there's nothing wrong with that. Here's my pick of the most exciting open air shows to see this season, which starts now and runs on until basically the end of October Funniest show: Shucked Timothy Sheader was one of London's longest-serving artistic directors, having run the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre – on the whole, brilliantly – for 18 years until he surprisingly went off to the Donmar last year. As far as it's possible to tell from a single summer season, Drew McOnie has not tinkered heavily with the OAT's musicals-heavy formula, but he has got one hell of a musical to open his season. Shucked is a heavyweight Broadway smash that one would have probably expected to go into the West End (and it might still do so). But instead it opens McOnie's tenure at the OAT. Apparently it is very, very funny, a story of corn-loving hillbillies who venture into the big city for the first time after their corn harvest fails. Open Air Theatre, May 10-Jun 14. Book tickets here. Heaviest show: The Crucible The Shakespeare's Globe outdoor season is always pretty damn reliable and while there are a couple of more outre choices for 2025 – Troilus and Cressida, anyone? – you can take my word for it that the whole thing looks like a safe bet. The big point of interest this summer is Ola Ince's revival of Arthur Miller's all time American classic The Crucible – I believe I'm right in saying that there has never been either an American play or a twentieth century play staged there. But with its epic scope, shadings of the magical and close-to-Shakespeare's-day setting, The Crucible feels like a fit so perfect it's incredible it hasn't been done before. Shakespeare in the Squares feels like the sort of concept that should be a decades-old London tradition, but in fact the company has only been around since 2016. The concept is pretty simple: each year the company tours a Shakespeare play around London's most charming garden squares (plus a few other outside spaces so it's not purely a tour of west London, although if you've ever wanted to hit up a posh west London square, this is your chance). And the Shakespeare is decent: none of the big names of the Globe or RSC and the productions are usually somewhat truncated, but thoughtful takes nonetheless. Which should stand them in good stead for this summer's pop hit-drenched take on The Taming of the Shrew, a deeply problematic play that can nonetheless be a lot of fun if approached smartly. Various locations, Jun 4-Jul 12. Most fabulous: West End Live There is nothing else in the UK quite like this enormous free festival of musical theatre, which takes over Trafalgar Square for a weekend every June. The deal is pretty simple: for two days the casts of a load of musicals sing a handful of their greatest hits, and while it's clearly not the same thing as getting a full show, it's a hell of a lot of incredible songs. A word to the wise: a lot of the biggest shows pile their West End Live slots in before their 2.30pm Saturday matinees and the crowd area can hit capacity very quickly at this time. Trafalgar Square, Jun 21 and 22. Best for families: Theatre on Kew Kew Gardens has a longstanding theatrical partnership with the Australian Shakespeare Company, which is a bit odd when you're first presented with it but kind of makes sense insofar as the ASC has a repertoire of all-ages open-air shows ready to go and appears to be happy to decamp to west London during the notoriously harsh Australian winters. It's one of the best spots in London to go for family open-air theatre, not least because your ticket to the show gets you general entry to Kew. This year's kids shows are The Dream Fairies (for little ones) and Alice in Wonderland (for bigger ones), or for an ultra atmospheric bit of more adult theatre there's Macbeth, which should be pretty amazing as darkness falls. Kew Gardens, Jul 18-Aug 31. Sadly not happening: River Stage A bit of a PSA here – the National Theatre has 'paused' its outdoor River Stage weekenders. This is a big shame, although the NT has a new leader (Indhu Rubasingham) who has only just got her feet under the table, but hopefully she'll come up with something next summer. Most spectacular: Greenwich + Docklands International Festival From simulations of the Northern Lights to a bus journey musing on the life of Stephen Lawrence, GDIF has been hugely on form in recent years as the largely free festival of street theatre – which has increasingly embraced spectacular installations post-pandemic – has drifted into a late summer slot. So late, in fact, that we don't have a line up or official dates yet. But expect it to be late August into early September, and also bloody spectacular.
The Province
27-04-2025
- Health
- The Province
Four Vancouver pharmacists face discipline over allegations of mishandling prescription opioids
The CPBC says the allegations are 'so serious' that interim disciplinary actions were needed while the college investigates. Getty stock photo of prescription pills. Photo by Shidlovski / Getty Images/iStockphoto Four Vancouver pharmacists have been handed interim disciplinary measures by the College of Pharmacists of B.C. over allegations of mishandling prescription opioids. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The college says the allegations are 'so serious' that interim action was needed while the college investigates. These measures include the suspension of registration for pharmacist Karandeep Singh Chohan, former manager of Fraser Outreach Pharmacy, effective May 27. The college has also placed limits and conditions on pharmacist Charanjit Pal, manager at Fraser Neighbourhood Pharmacy, effective May 12, and to staff pharmacists Mamteshwari Ravnita Latchman and Jennifer Van Bui, effective March 24. Latchman and Bui were employed at Fraser Outreach Pharmacy. The college says an investigation into the allegations follows inspections at the two pharmacies last year. Inspectors found alleged breaches of the college's bylaws and standards relating to the provision of Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) services, narcotic inventory control and management, prescription checking requirements, PharmaNet record keeping, patient consultations, supervision of non-pharmacist staff and compliance with ethical standards, according to the college. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Our responsibility is to make sure pharmacy care in B.C. is safe and ethical and we take this mandate extremely seriously,' said Suzanne Solven, CEO of the College of Pharmacists of B.C. in a statement Thursday. 'Our investigations follow a procedurally fair process as required under Canadian law. Any regulatory action normally requires waiting until the investigation is complete. However, in this case the preliminary evidence and the allegations are so serious that the Inquiry Committee decided the extraordinary step of interim actions were necessary to protect the public while the investigation is underway.' The Inquiry Committee determined that suspension of Chohan was necessary for public protection during the investigation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Chohan's alleged misconduct includes inadequate narcotic inventory control and management and inadequate prescription final check requirements. It's also alleged Chohan was in non-compliance with OAT dispensing standards. In suspending Chohan, the committee took into consideration that he has been investigated before between 2016 and 2023. The committee noted that, as a result of those previous investigations, Chohan had declared his remediation of the concerns identified at that time and his understanding of legislated requirements and had given undertakings to abide by those requirements in future. While his registration is suspended, he must not practice pharmacy in B.C. or act as a pharmacy manager. ticrawford@ News Vancouver Canucks News Vancouver Whitecaps Federal Election
Vancouver Sun
26-04-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Four Vancouver pharmacists face discipline over allegations of mishandling prescription opioids
Four Vancouver pharmacists have been handed interim disciplinary measures by the College of Pharmacists of B.C. over allegations of mishandling prescription opioids. Article content Article content The college says the allegations are 'so serious' that interim action was needed while the college investigates. Article content These measures include the suspension of registration for pharmacist Karandeep Singh Chohan, former manager of Fraser Outreach Pharmacy, effective May 27. Article content Article content The college has also placed limits and conditions on pharmacist Charanjit Pal, manager at Fraser Neighbourhood Pharmacy, effective May 12, and to staff pharmacists Mamteshwari Ravnita Latchman and Jennifer Van Bui, effective March 24. Article content Article content The college says an investigation into the allegations follows inspections at the two pharmacies last year. Article content Inspectors found alleged breaches of the college's bylaws and standards relating to the provision of Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) services, narcotic inventory control and management, prescription checking requirements, PharmaNet record keeping, patient consultations, supervision of non-pharmacist staff and compliance with ethical standards, according to the college. Article content Article content 'Our responsibility is to make sure pharmacy care in B.C. is safe and ethical and we take this mandate extremely seriously,' said Suzanne Solven, CEO of the College of Pharmacists of B.C. in a statement Thursday. Article content 'Our investigations follow a procedurally fair process as required under Canadian law. Any regulatory action normally requires waiting until the investigation is complete. However, in this case the preliminary evidence and the allegations are so serious that the Inquiry Committee decided the extraordinary step of interim actions were necessary to protect the public while the investigation is underway.'
