#montreal fringe

[ladycharles]

I want to try writing about some of the plays that impress me at the fringes this year, now that Ottawa Fringe is in full swing. No better place to start than with 666!

This play deals with the Satanic Panic of the 80s and 90s - when shoddy therapy led to many people becoming convinced they had fallen victim to satanic rituals, causing an overall moral panic

The play features a woman who believes she has been victimised by satanic abuse, and her difficult and harrowing journey is portrayed stunningly by Corinne Viay - she is tormented by visions of Satan (played by drag artist Mx. Caligula) and sensationalised media coverage (portrayed by Seth Thompson, with a hilarious satirical edge)

Standing out in particular was Caligula's performance as the devil. It is an outstanding physical performance that channels the queer-coded villain tropes that mark many modern portrayals while maintaining an imposing physicality balanced with an androgynous grace that brings the fallen angel to life. Their frenetic voguing and wacking during the dance sequence, performed within striking distance of the audience, is really quite breathtaking, it adds the excitement of watching a dancer push their limits on top of all the other triumphs.

Oftentimes in theatre serious content involving religion and queerness, or discussions of abuse and mass hysteria can drift into cliché or suffer from a lack of perspective. Handled poorly, this can lead to joyless agit prop or an almost fetishistic gaze that obscure their gravity. You've probably witnessed it if you ever watched a lot of emerging theatre - plays that feel random, obscure, soulless and preachy.

Thankfully, 666 does not have this problem. It uses its unorthodox structure to unpack the human toll of the satanic panic while tacking issues like internalized homophobia and patriarchal society with a naturalism that transcends cliché. It is focused and clever, delivering its message with care, humour, and depth.

If you're in Ottawa or Montreal for their respective Fringes, this is seriously some of the best theatre I have seen in a long time!

[kingedmundsroyalmurder]

Blue Castle Book Club 2.0 - Chapter 1

I told myself I'd start the WIP Big Bang in June, and it is now June. So it's time to get Tamora Pierce's voice out of my head and bring Maud's back. And what better way to do that than to book club my way through the book a second time and bring you all with me?

Dunno if we'll go chapter by chapter this time, since a lot of the middle chapters are short and more interesting to talk about as a group than individually. But we'll play it by ear and see what the vibes are like.

So! Back to Deerwood we go!

We start out strong, with a delightful opening paragraph:

If it had not rained on a certain May morning Valancy Stirling’s whole life would have been entirely different. She would have gone, with the rest of her clan, to Aunt Wellington’s engagement picnic and Dr. Trent would have gone to Montreal. But it did rain and you shall hear what happened to her because of it.

Everyone quite rightly talks about the first sentence, but I like the second one even more, and the way it subtly misleads us by highlighting Dr. Trent. It makes it seem like he will be a primary character (perhaps even a love interest!) when in actuality he ends up being just a catalyst. A fun hint at the humor of this book.

We move into Valancy's room, and we are painted a picture of a place that is both ugly and static. Maud, of course, loves to draw connections between people and the places they inhabit, and what we are learning about Valancy through her room is bleak. Yes, it is ugly and yes none of it is hers, but even more than that everything is old and crumbling: the wallpaper is faded, the ceiling is cracked and discolored, the looking glass is cracked, the shell-covered box has a bust corner and the beaded pincushion has half its bead fringe gone. And yet none of these items are permitted the dignity of retirement. They are on display just as they always have been, and will be until they fully crumble to dust. They have not been cared for, so that they might age gracefully or be preserved longer, they have simply sat, unloved and untended, falling apart but forbidden from leaving even though no one wants them there.

A strong start to the embodied houses in this book.

We get a delightful turn of phrase with:

Nobody in the Stirling clan, or its ramifications

The Stirling clan is an Event, an Act of Nature more than simply a family. They Happen to you and you just have to deal with the fallout.

Our second embodied house is the Blue Castle itself, and it is beautiful and splendid and solidly fantastical. The Blue Castle is like that perfect novel you dream to yourself while going to bed, filled with sparkling dialog and emotional climaxes that hit with perfect devastation and none of the actual work needed to make those elements work in practice. The Blue Castle has no need for laundry or dusting or clothing made from actual fabrics. Its inhabitants are free to float gracefully down the staircase on an endless loop and parade before Valancy swooning gracefully at her beauty. It’s a daydream, written by someone who clearly knows her way around a good daydream and understands them from the inside. As the author states herself:

Things are very convenient in this respect in Blue Castles.

But today Valancy is twenty-nine and miserable and unmarried and daydreams can sustain her no longer. And, unless I’ve forgotten something, she never again finds the keys to her Blue Castle in the story. She talks about it, but I don’t believe she ever actually sets foot in the fantasy again. By the time she’s able to dream again, she’s escaped her Stirling life and doesn’t need airy fantasies to keep her going.

Valancy thinks of the canceled picnic and goes through the list of relatives she’s glad to not have to see, which is all of them. Put a pin in these descriptions, we’ll come back to them in a later chapter. This first round of descriptors makes them all seem rather formidable and dreadful, but Valancy duly does her best to think well of them even in the privacy of her own thoughts. She is in awe of Aunt Wellington, Aunt Alberta has an amiable habit, she dislikes but respects Uncle James. As I said, we’ll come back to these.

Meanwhile, we don’t have to go to the picnic! And so Valancy tentatively plans her day, including her great rebellion of perhaps going unattended to a doctor at the tender age of 29. As I said the first time I read this book, I can so deeply relate to Valancy’s desire to do things secretly because trying to tell anyone what she’s doing will turn it into a Whole Thing.

Colors mentioned:

Greying darkness

Red eyes

Yellow-painted floor

Dark-red paper

Brown-paper lambrequin

Yellow chair

Red brick box

Blue Castle

Blue loveliness

White urns

Golden curls

Heavenly blue eyes

Reddish, tawny hair

Not one single crimson or purple spot

Silver teaspoon

We're limiting ourselves to the css colors, so perhaps Valancy's life is slightly more vibrant than the screen gives it credit for being, but even still this is a limited color palette, especially compared to what we will see later. The only interesting color words are crimson, which is referring to something valancy lacks, and golden and tawny which are referring to someone fictional. Otherwise it's all just the standard names for colors with no nuance.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Good news, everyone! Excellent news. It turns out Ed Night is good at stand-up comedy. I have been waiting several years now to find this out, suspected but with no way to confirm it. But now I can finally say, I have found a way to artistically justify my decision to watch Roast Battle. Wouldn't have heard of Ed Night otherwise as he's not been on anything else I've seen, and therefore I wouldn't have have seen a very good stand-up show last night. Success! It was all worth it!

Anyway, yesterday was probably my most perfectly planned day if this festival. Look at this:

What a solid few hours. Kept exiting the venues and then going right back in, didn't have to travel anywhere, and four really really strong shows in a row. Eleanor Morton's took a little while to get going and at first I was a bit disappointed in it, but it really built up from a routine about seeing the Edinburgh Fringe as an Edinburgh native, then just kept going, second half better than the first and I loved it by the end.

The other 3 were pretty well perfect, all 3 of them. I'm so glad I saw Sarah Keyworth, after almost skipping them because I saw it filmed for Access Festival. Firstly, it was more than good enough to be worth seeing in person even though I'd heard the material before, same as Nish Kumar and Tom Ballard. Secondly, it's been 8 months and a major Australian championship win since I saw the show, obviously the material has developed. It was so, so much fun to actually see. As was Laura Davis, they're another one who's so compelling it's just worth getting into the room to experience it up close. This started strong but was another one that really built and by the end was... look, I try to be very sparing with a word like "Kitsonian" and not just compare anything good to him, but that was all I could think of with the way she got complex and poetic in throwing everything in the show back at us at the end. Reminded me of the ending of Impotent Fury of the Privileged pr Something Other Than Everything, in the best way (not in a "Laura was being unoriginal" way, Kitson doesn't talk nearly this much about dead birds so safe to say they carved their own territory). And Tom Ballard was also doing stuff I'd heard before but it sure was worth being in the room for that. Being in the room made me both enjoy it even more, and better understand why a different person might dislike it so strongly. A divisively shouty presence.

I even managed to briefly speak to Tom Ballard after the show, if nothing else just to prove to myself that I could, after the disaster of last week. And it went okay! I wasn't smooth by any means, stuttered at the ground about how I loved his show in Montreal last year and thought this one was even better and big fan of his older specials too and all his stuff, and I absolutely could not look at him while I spoke, but I think I managed to make the words I was saying understood. Managed to sound like a very nervous person who likes him, rather than whatever I sounded like when I met Kitson last week, which was nothing, because I could not remember any words. So I'm glad I managed that improvement. He was very nice, asked me my name, said he appreciated it, a sort of amusing contrast to the on-stage shoutiness.

Then I ran off to the Assembly Rooms to see Josie Long's husband (if the genders were reversed it would be problematic to define her by her relationship to him but I'm pretty sure it's fine this way around, also I'm not 100% sure they're actually married) meticulously document the destruction of arts funding and the NHS across 14 years of Tory rule, via the medium of a musical performed in what appeared to be a circus tent. That's what we some to the Fringe for, isn't it? That is exactly what I wanted out of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was a lot of fun.

Then back to the Monkey Barrel to see Ed Night, a guy I'd been Googling ever since I saw him on Roast Battle in 2021, convinced that I like this guy and I just need him to release something I can see to prove it. I've said several times on this blog that I'm supporting his career like it's a sports team, wanting him to get big just so I can see his stuff from Canada. He didn't so I had to go to him, and finally, decision to watch an awful thing like Roast Battle has been justified! I found Ed Night out of it! Seriously I thought he was fantastic, dark and sharp and packed with jokes that you could miss if you didn't pay attention because they fit so clearly into the narrative. And it helped that it was my sort of thing in terms of subject matter, he covered OCD and queer identity and some political stuff and the frustrating mental health system, talked shit about contrnt creator algorithms. At one point he got a Pokemon reference into what I think was a suicide joke - how perfectly tailored to my comedy taste is that? He also picked some more specific targets, like (spoiler alert, I guess, spoiler alert for everything on my blog all the time) going after Tom Binns for a while, earning every bit of that edgy material (edgy, to be clear, just because it's an intense topic to bring up - he didn't try edgily defending him or anything) by being very funny about it.

He hung out somewhere in the general vicinity (not nearly as far, but the vicinity is still impressive) of Dan Rath levels of presenting himself as a fucked up low status character (though it didn't seem like a that much of a character). I remember seeing someone compare his stuff to Frankie Boyle once, which I think is apt, though more personal than I've heard Frankie Boyle get, and obviously not as developed in the craft, but it was that level of dark. I also think Chortle robbed him, with only 3.5 stars, given some of the stuff that's got 4. I'm just relieved that he was good. I got so invested in the idea of him being good, based on so little. Picked one non-famous comedian, several years ago, to decide I bet that guy is good. And that was by no means a guarantee. I feel like this blog must make it seem as though I like pretty much all comedy because that's mainly what I write about. When in fact I hear or see plenty of comedy that I dislike, I just try not to be a dick about it online too often. So I'm glad this wasn't like that, because I really hate being wrong.

Then I ran off to the other side of the castle for the first time, to see Natalie Palamides at the Traverse Theatre. This was one I booked because it seemed important to take the opportunity to see in person while I can. I've seen her previous shows - Laid and Nate - on video, and I liked them, could see they were very good, but I also knew I was missing parts of it, because it doesn't translate fully to film, and I just don't have the theatre kid background to appreciate that level of clowning. Also the puppet in Dave freaked me out. I don't like puppets. Also, you know, nudity. Sex scenes (only with puppets). Artistic violence. It left me feeling weird and uncomfortable and wanting to curl up into a ball, in a sort of good but probably overall more bad way. But that left me feeling like I should try harder to develop the ability to appreciate this sort of thing. And I think it's the sort of thing that really needs to be experienced live.

So I went to see Weer live, and I had a great time. It was so much fun, probably helped that the subject matter was lighter, at least at first. More nudity (spoiler alert, I guess, for all of this, in the unlikely event that anyone planning to see Natalie Palamides is reading this) but I was prepared this time! Managed to not turn into quite such a prudish teacher from a movie, at the sight of a body displayed in the name of art. I mean it was still weird, but not quite such a shock as I'd seen it before. The violence was a bit more difficult, but it very quickly got too absurd to be scary. And the puppet stuff was mercifully extremely short.

Otherwise, I thought it was incredibly impressive. I don't have the theatre knowledge to really understand how impressive it was, but I can still recognize something really cool and incredibly complicated done very well. It was fun, it made me laugh, I could not believe the number of (literal and figurative) layers that went into it. It was very, very cool to see, definitely worth taking the chance to go in person.

So that was my day yesterday. Woke up early this morning and thought I'd go through the day. About to go back to town for my last day of shows. Which is fine, I'm not feeling any predictable rising anxiety that the only thing I've been looking forward to for a year is almost over. It's okay, I'll have another little bit in London after this and that's nice as meeting my London friend in person has been one of the best parts of this, sorry that's a weird thing to say given that he reads this. But it's hardly the most overly personal thing I've ever communicated via a Tumblr post because I don't know how to actually talk to people. Except Tom Ballard, I did a great job of talking to him.

And aside from talking to Tom Ballard, yesterday was a slower day for comedian spotting, which was probably for the best (talking to Tom wasn't so much comedian "spotting", as comedian "awkwardly waiting around until everyone else had left after his show"). Jordan Brookes was in the audience at Sarah Keyworth's show. And here's a left-field one - Dominic Maxwell, the dick from The Times who once called Andy Zaltzman "[John Oliver's] left-behind sidekick", was in Natalie Palamides' show making notes for a review. Which I only know because she called attention to that when giving him an audience participation part, she turned it into something quite funny.

Okay, now I'm going into town for the last day. I've saved some of the established Fringe veterans for last - Seymour Mace, Mark Watson, David O'Doherty. Mat Ewins, another one where I thought it important to take the chance to see in oerson since he doesn't translate to recordings well. I didn't divide it up this way intentionally, but the identity-based demographic diversity of my Fringe schedule looks a lot better if you leave out the last day.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

I think i asked this once but i don't know if you saw it, i would really LOVE to read this whole fic, but the link doesn't work, was it deleted? 🥺

Oh lord, so that one has the distinction of being the only fic I have ever written to get dogpiled hate on ao3 and it startled me so much I deleted it. God help me if the england stans find this one. It's also back on ao3. It's got a sequel here too, when Matt is older.

In late autumn—and sometimes in early spring—a rainy morning would press its wet nose against the glass storefront of papa's bakery. Outside, where the leaves were starting to turn, it was cool. And inside, where papa and his part-timers made pastry and bread, it was wonderfully warm.

Sometimes the ovens made the glass foggy. When they did, Mathieu drew squiggles and left his palm prints to make turkeys and even sometimes a little BONJOUR in crude toddler letters for the passersby, then hastily wiped away the evidence with his sleeve, so Papa couldn't scold him for using his fingers. He sometimes opened the door for customers just to look at the trees on the avenue. He wanted to climb them, but if ever he got the chance to wander near, Papa tugged him back onto the sidewalk and tugged his coat back into place.

He heard his name, insistent, and he paused for a second to let a rain-bedraggled man in a stinky wool coat through the door.

"Bonjour-hi!" He waved at the stranger, of which there were always many passing through his father's shop, and scrambled back to the table nearest the counter in an awkward little corner next to the display windows. There, and in the cushioned basket behind the counter where he'd nap after the lunch rush dwindled, he'd spent many a day with his stuffed bear, his blocks and his trains, and his books, nose to the paper as he coloured in big leafy forests of gold, amber, maple and green. The man had a sharp face under his damp, straw-colored fringe and gave a weak wave. Matthieu thought he looked very tired.

Arthur needed a fucking cup of tea. Soaked through and freezing, he stumbled into a cafe off the avenue thumbing his money clip. A small lad in a cheerful red jumper chirped the bilingual greetings so common to this part of Canada, and Arthur waved at him, staring at the menu written in beautiful calligraphy above the counter. There were a few loaves of bread, no doubt leftover from the morning rush.

The lad hopped up onto the counter, kicking his legs off the edge, as comfortable as a round little robin red breast who'd perched on the same branch thousands of times.

He said something to him in French, broad baby Quebecois that ended in a giggle. He thought he'd spoken French quite well before coming to this city, but Montreal was a city of a thousand languages, and about 900 of them were supposed to be French. He mouthed words and the child gave a shy smile and switched to clumsy but adequate English.

"You're not one of Papa's regulars,"

"No," Arthur said. "I suppose I'm new to the city."

The lad's eyes popped open wide.

"PAPA! C'est un Anglais!" The boy cupped his hands over his mouth to shout at a figure moving behind the doorway and hopped off the counter to stand on a stool. He peered over it shyly.

"Are you really… one of the… a les goddams!?"

Arthur gave a hearty snort, unoffended. He'd only read that term in books. He thought it came from how much English sailors cursed. And, well, he was an English sailor.

"Suppose I am, lad. But you can call me Arthur." He leaned over the counter, extending one gloved hand. The small boy took it and shook it, looking very serious and grown up.

"Like the king?"

"Indeed."

"And you are?"

"Mathieu!" Came a much deeper, lilting voice, full of the music of European French rather than the flat stubborn sounds of Canadien. "Get down from there; you'll snap your neck!"

The boy sighed, "Ouais, Papa," and leaped off the chair he'd been standing on.

"Apologies," The man said. "What can I get you?"

Later, he wouldn't remember ordering tea and a sandwich. He'd gone quite deaf. The bakery owner couldn't have been much older than 30—well-built, compact, and lean. His great arms showed off as he rolled short, flour-dusted short sleeves over his shoulders. Perky ass Arthur tried desperately not to look as the man bent double for a bagel from one of the display baskets behind the counter. Bloody fucking hell. He had beautiful hair, pulled neatly back except for spirals to frame his face. It would have been a womanly look on anyone else, but it only drew Arthur's eye to a beautiful pair of clavicles. No wedding ring, Arthur noticed, and not even the pale outline of where one might have been. He cleared his throat and raked his damp hair back, a bit embarrassed at his rumpled, rain-splattered state.

The tea was godawful. Probably bagged and a little burnt and left to seep too long. But the sandwich was fantastic. There'd never been that good of bagels in any port in the world. He was about to become, if luck gave him nothing else, a regular.

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Gregory Edward “Greg” Hemphill born 14th December 1969 in Glasgow.

I think the majority of us will know who Greg is, one half of the successful partnership with partner, Ford Kiernan that is Still Game.

The family left Scotland when Greg was twelve years old, and he spent much of his childhood in Montreal, Canada. Greg returned home to study at Glasgow University, in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, graduating MA in 1992.

Greg made his acting debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1990. His work includes roles in God Plus Support in the Theatre and Only an Excuse. He is a regular on the comedy circuit. He also ventured into radio as the original presenter of football show, Off the Ball on BBC Radio Scotland and The Eddie Mair Show. As well as writing for Still Game and Chewin The Fat he has written for Channel 4 programme Space Cadets, BBC’s Pulp Video and The Ferguson Theory.

Still Game has transferred successfully onto the big stage and has sold out countless times at The Hydro. The third and final run of the shows Still Game: The Final Farewell was officially announced on 1st November 2018. The ninth and final series of Still Game was screened in 2019 The show won an ‘Outstanding Contribution’ TV award at Scottish Baftas that year.

Away from his work Greg is a bit of a card shark, he plays in competitions, he has won over thirty thousand dollars in competitions and was third in the Scottish Championships in 2002

Greg has been kind of quiet of late, but the good news is he returns to our screens on Hogmanay with a new sketch show. The show is set to bring up all the biggest talking points of this year – from COP26 to the wild swimming phenomenon. The show titled “Queen of the New Year” will star Greg and Robert Florence along with Barbara Rafferty, Clive Russell, Gayle Telfer Stevens, Louise McCarthy, John Gordon Sinclair and Juliet Cadzow, so some familiar faces from Still Game and Burnistoun.

Greg is married to Balamory star Julie Wilson Nimmo, 46, they announced they are to their own production company launch Blue Haven Productions Limited. The latest from Greg and Julie who live in the West End of Glasgow, is they will be teaming up who live in the West End, are appearing together in Olga da Polga, the first-ever television adaptation of Paddington creator Michael Bond’s beloved books. The new 13-part, live-action and animation series is produced by Glasgow-based production company Marakids, and it has been made with the full support of the Bond family.

Greg and Julie have been married since 1999, they met while both were working on the 90s sketch show Pulp Video. Greg says of them;

“We met on sketch shows, and we always laughed a lot. We still do. There are lots of laughs, lots of carry on when we work together.”

Greg and his Still Game sidekick Ford Kiernan launched a whisky, named after their characters Jack and Vioctor two or three years back, and the knobs at Jack Daniels objected after the pair later applied to register the name as a trademark for whisky and other drink-related services. The matter ended up going to an arbitrator. The Tennessee-based company claimed the drink, named after Still Game’s two main characters, could confuse customers and make them think they were endorsing the Scotch blend.

The firm argued the name could allow the Scottish whisky to cash in on the recognition of the well-known brand.

Hemphill, who plays the character Victor, provided evidence during the dispute while managing director Justin Welch provided evidence for Jack Daniel’s.

Hemphill said Still Game was a popular show across the UK, particularly in Scotland, arguing that “Jack and Victor” has become synonymous with the BBC programme.

It was a great triumph for the small guy versus golliath, Jack Daniel’s was ordered to pay £3,200 to Jack and Victor Limited, the company used to market the whisky earlier this year.

[words-after-midnight]

Camp prep - April - Day 1

I'm hoping to do Camp in April, so I thought I'd take part in this Camp prep meme brought to us by the lovely @lola-theshowgrl! Posting twice both today & tomorrow as I'm two days late. :)

1. Introduce yourself and your WIP

About me: Nico (he/him), 32, Montreal. I'm a writer of adult contemporary fiction exploring dark themes such as the gray zones of morality, messy relationships, obsession, the psychology of crime, fraught humanity, grief and trauma, mental illness, and life on the fringes of society. My primary genres are crime fiction, horror, and psychological fiction.

About The Dotted Line: I'll hopefully be using Camp to write the next 50K words of my prison horror story, The Dotted Line. Fitting, since I actually started the draft for Camp NaNo in July 2013 (one of two reasons for the title of the first chapter being "Camp"). It was shelved for many years. Currently about 12K words in, and my draft goal is 75-90K.

Genres: Experimental horror, psychological horror, dark comedy, crime.

WIP intro post Playlist Moodboard (cw for some gore and general horroresque content)

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“ESKIMOS ARE NOT PRIMITIVE PEOPLE,” Montreal Gazette. November 30, 1932. Page 5. ---- Richard Finnie Describes Delights of Arctic Scenery ---- Toronto, November 29. "Eskimos are not refrigerated, blubber-saturated savages, but happy, intelligent, and hospitable people, the finest, most generous and most likeable people of all uncultured races," according to Richard Finnie, of Ottawa, who accompanied L. T. Burwash on his Franklin expedition to King William Island.

"The Arctic climate," Mr. Finnie said in an address here last night, :is by no means unbearable. The summers are short, but warm and pleasant. The winters are cold, but I have suffered far more with cold in civilization, wearing its ridiculously inadequate clothing.

"The tourist has begun to discover the Mackenzie River," Mr. Finnie said. "There are 2,000 miles of magnificent waterway through absolutely unspoiled country, to be travelled in comfort by aeroplane, steamboat or canoe.

"The aeroplane has changed the whole situation in the Arctic. It is possible that across the fringe of the polar ocean, towns and cities may grow up in the course of the next four generation's, the nucleus of a new empire."

Mr. Finnie is official archivist and photographer of the Canadian Arctic under the Department or Interior, Ottawa, and is a son of O. S. Finnie, former director of the Canadian Northwest Territories branch.

[AL: Weirdly positive account of Inuit society and culture, despite the racist and archaic name. Still, what a vision of settler colonialism - Vacationland forever.]

[ladycharles]

Cover art (as video with music sample) for Child of the Night. Coming September 29th, some background info below.

Hope you like it - it's a computer generated composite of all the promo photos Stef and I have made of me.

Child of the Night is, in the context of the play, the song where the younger character does their solo dance, free from their shitty family. In the context of my life it's about my late teens/early 20's as I came of age unsure of where I was going and who exactly I was. I used to explore Toronto by bike every night and the desolate city landscapes would fill me with a longing for something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Meaning? Purpose? Something to long for? In any case I felt a kinship with the character in the play at that moment and felt I needed to re-arrange the song to be a little more disco so they could use it in the play. If you sign up via email you can hear the shorter show version with an orchestral opening.

The instrumental verses of the song are my attempt at capturing that night city vibe, I think a lot of early Drake stuff produced by 40 captured something similar. I love those dark synthscapes that feel like distant buildings rising up over a purpley city sky.

I tried to do something similar but for Montreal in this track:

[frank-21]

Beautiful jazz music at the Montreal fringe Festival

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I just listened to this and enjoyed it a lot. I've decided to get really into John Hastings this week as he's performing in my local comedy club in a few hours and I'm going to see him, but also Josie Long shared his special on Instagram, and my brain is struggling reconcile those both the case for the same person. It's even more strange to hear a guy who's performing at my local comedy club talk to Stuart Goldsmith.

I've now heard it confirmed that he did grow up in the same city as me (and has a few accurate observations about it - you're right, John, it is weird that we brag about a canal), and in this interview he briefly discusses his high school, and I think he might have gone to a high school where I've spent a lot of time because I used to coach their wrestling team. So that's also weird.

Anyway, this interview was cool, listening to John Hastings in 2014, when he'd done comedy for a while in Canada but had then lived in England for a few years, and could compare the two places. There were multiple points in this interview, while he was describing Canadian comedy, that made me say, "Yes, exactly! That's what I've said! That's a difference I thought I'd seen, but didn't have anyone to confirm it because I don't know anyone who knows British comedy very well and also goes to my little local comedy nights and can tell me I'm right about stuff, so I thought maybe I was making it up! But yes, exactly, this is why my brother and I are so often talking past each other when we talk about comedy. Different expectations."

John Hastings spends a bunch of time talking about how he struggled to be a bit "alternative" because in Canada there's such a strong expectation that you have to do the same obvious mainstream stuff as everyone else, and after he'd talked about that for a while, Stuart Goldsmith did that thing he does sometimes, where he hesitantly says "If I can just gently push back on that," and then starts talking real slow to give himself time to choose his words extremely carefully as he tries to find a way to sound polite and respectful while saying "I think you're wrong about this." When Goldsmith does that in interviews, I usually find myself agreeing with him, and am glad he pointed this out and can make the interviewee either explain themselves better or acknowledge the error in what they'd said. But this was a rare time when I disagreed, as I heard Stuart Goldsmith find a very careful and diplomatic way to say "You're not really all that alternative, you'd fit in fine at a mainstream club." Not all his stuff, Stuart! I've just listened to a few of his albums, and none of them have any alternative comedy by British standards (something they described in the podcast with the shorthand of saying "Tony Law playing a bassoon"), but it is here, which is what he was talking about, saying his material was out of place in Canada. It had stories and bits of social commentary and things you have to actually follow to understand. I don't see that much here.

Obviously I'm working with a tiny sample size. I think in places like Toronto and Montreal they do have more actual alternative comedy. Even around here, there is a fringe festival, but it's very tiny. Obviously I'm talking about stuff I've seen in one city with three comedy clubs. And I've heard plenty of John Hastings material that would fit in fine at those comedy clubs, which makes sense as he's apparently performed there a lot. He does seem to interestingly straddle the line between really regular club stuff and trying other things. But those Bandcamp albums have some stories that are more involved than nearly anything I've heard locally. It was funny to me to hear Stuart Goldsmith so confused by the idea that this is all that "out there", when I wanted to tell him, "Trust me, Stuart, it is."

He called the club where I'm seeing him perform tonight "Canada's version of Jongleurs". Jongleurs is a club I hear referenced a lot as the go-to example of a place in Britain for really conventional club comedy, but Hastings' comparison of it to this local club that I know quite well instantly contextualized both sides of that comparison for me. I immediately thought, "Oh, right, I can picture what you mean." I can now picture what Jongleurs is like because I've been to my local club, and I can picture how the things they do in my local club are seen by people who do other types of comedy by thinking of the tone British comedians use when they refer to Jongleurs. What a helpful analogy. I would like John Hastings to take part in all my conversations so he can translate between British and Canadian comedy references for me.

There's a follow-up interview from 2023 that was good too, John Hastings had moved to the States by then and was a whole lot angrier and pretty much goes off on all the things wrong with the comedy industry in various places, so that was interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does tonight. I realize I'm giving away more than I normally would about my personal information in these posts (like, my specific geographical personal information), but I remain fairly confident that no one's reading them so it's probably fine.

[brookston]

Holidays 5.27

Holidays

Armed Forces Day (Nicaragua)

Bermuda Day (Bermuda)

Bloomer Day

Body Painting Day

Border Guard Day (Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia)

Buttercup Day

Carnival of Nose Music

Cellophane Tape Day

Children’s Day (Nigeria)

Clean Sneakers Appreciation Day

Community Police Officer Day (Ukraine)

Cultivating Comedy Day

Derg Downfall Day (Ethiopia)

Dia de la Madre (a.k.a. Mother's Day; Bolivia)

Emergency Medicine Day

Fête des Voisins (France)

Free Feral Cat Spay Day

Golden Gate Bridge Day

Habeas Corpus Day

International Children’s Day (Nigeria)

International Crop Duster’s Day

International Day of Action for Women’s Health

International Day of Marketing

International Heritage Breeds Day

Jag’s McCartney Day (Turks and Caicos Islands)

Janmotsav of Sri Sri Madhabdeva (Assam, India)

Joe Cool Day (Peanuts)

Lazybones Day (Luilak; Netherlands)

Love Your Lanes Day (UK)

Martagon Lily Day (French Republic)

Menstrual Hygiene Day

Meryl Streep Day

Mother’s Day (Bolivia)

National Aaron Day

National Asher Day

National Christian T-Shirt Day

National Climate Day (Switzerland)

National Gray Day

National Hairstylist Mental Health Awareness Day

National Hamburger Day

National Jordan Day

National Melissa Day

National Multiple Births Awareness Day (Canada)

National Reflexology Day (Canada)

National Sunscreen Day (a.k.a. Sunscreen Protection Day)

Navy Day (Japan)

Nothing to Fear Day

Nysa Asteroid Day

Old-Time Player Piano Day

Pop-Up Toaster Day

Procession of the Golden Chariot and the Battle of Lumecon (Belgium)

Pyrex Day

Rachel Carson Day

Richard Wagner Day

Slavery Abolition Day (Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin)

Stratosphere Ballon Ascent Day

Sunscreen Day

Throw the Bastards Out Day

Tracky Jack Day (Australia)

Whooping Crane Day

World Dhole Day

World Hunger Day

World Product Day

Youm-e-Tkbir (Day of Greatness; Pakistan)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Grape Popsicle Day

Muffin Day (Sweden)

National Brisket Day

National Italian Beef Day

Schmaltz Day

Independence & Related Days

Bartonia (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Domanglia (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

EDO (a.k.a. Empirical Dyarchy of Ohio; Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

First Republic Day (Armenia)

Imperial Kermit Empire (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Macéyon (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Republic Day (Azerbaijan)

Republic Day (Nepal)

4th & Last Monday in May

Celebration Day (UK) [Last Monday]

Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling and Wake (Cooper’s Hill, UK)

Late May Bank Holiday (Isle of Man)

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

Memorial Day (US) [Last Monday] a.k.a. ... 

Decoration Day (f.k.a.)

Great Jubilee Day, A (f.k.a., commemorated Revolutionary War)

National Hamburger Day

National Moment of Remembrance [3:00 PM]

Poppy Day [also 11.11]

Prayer for Peace Day

Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day (Fiji) [Last Monday]

Spring Bank Holiday (UK) [Last Monday] a.k.a. ... 

Spring Holiday (Jersey)

Tetbury Woolsack Races (UK)

Weekly Holidays beginning May 27 (4th Week)

Week of Solidarity with the People of Non-Self-Governing Territories begins [Last Monday]

Festivals Beginning May 27, 2024

Canadian Screen Awards (Toronto, Canada)

Festival St-Ambroise Fringe de Montréal (Montreal, Canada) thru 6.16]

Prague Fringe Festival (Prague, Czech Republic) [thru 6.1]

re:publica (Berlin, Germany) [thru 5.29]

Vienna Independent Shorts (Vienna, Austria) [thru 6.2]

Feast Days

AL-1995 Plus Tax (Muppetism)

Anna Cervin (Artology)

Augustine of Canterbury (Christian; Saint)

St. Augustine (Positivist; Saint)

Bede the Confessor (Christian; Saint, “Father of the Church”)

Bruno of Würzburg (Christian; Saint)

Buddha Day (Sukka Tanson II; South Korea)

Centennial Games Day (Everyday Wicca)

Dashiell Hammett (Writerism)

Edward Teach Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Eutropius of Orange (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Comus (Greek God of Drunken Revelry)

Findle Fritter’s Stoat-Wheedling Event (Shamanism)

Frigga Blot (Slavic Pagan/Asatru)

Georges Rouault (Artology)

Harlan Ellison (Writerism)

Herman Wouk (Writerism)

Hildebert (Christian; Saint)

Jessie Arms Botke (Artology)

John Cheever (Writerism)

John I, Pope (Christian; Martyr)

Julius the Veteran and His Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Lojze Grozde (Christian; Saint)

Media Ver III (Pagan)

Melangell (Christian; Saint) [Hares]

Pillage Festival (Church of the SubGenius)

Restituta of Sora (Christian; Martyr & Virgin)

Season of Confusion begins (Discordian)

Stretch Yourself Creatively Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

The Three Martyrdoms: Red, Green & White (Celtic Book of Days)

Weasel Tossing Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [27 of 57]

Premieres

Alice Through the Looking Glass (Film; 2016)

American Stars ’n Bars, by Neil Young (Album; 1977)

Blowin’ in the Wind, by Bob Dylan (Song; 1963)

The Bob’s Burgers Movie (Animated Film; 2022)

Bulloney (MGM Cartoon; 1933)

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown (History Book; 1970)

Continuum (TV Series; 2012)

Devil of the Deep (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

Duck Soup to Nuts (WB LT Cartoon; 1944)

An Egg Scramble (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

The Flintstones (Film; 1994)

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1963)

Franny and Zooey, by J.D. Salinger (Short Stories; 1962)

From Russia with Love (US Film; 1964) [James Bond #2]

Gift of Gag (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1955)

Gold Diggers of 1933 (Film; 1933)

God Save the Queen, by The Sex Pistols (Song; 1977)

Love Life (TV Series; 2020)

Lumberjack and Jill (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1949)

Madagascar (Animated Film; 2005)

Melody Time (Animated Disney Film; 1948)

Memento Mori, by Muriel Spark (Novel; 1959)

The Music Mice-Tro (WB MM Cartoon; 1967)

A Mutt in a Rut (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1949)

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV Series; 2022) The Plumed Serpent, by D.H. Lawrence (Novel; 1926)

Prelude to War (Documentary Film; 1942)

QB VII, by Leon Uris (Novel; 1970)

A Short Vision (Animated Short Film; 1956)

Smokey and the Bandit (Film; 1977)

The Sot-Weed Factor, by John Barth (Novel; 1960)

Space Mountain rollercoaster (Disneyland Ride; 1977)

Springtime Serenade (Cartune Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Day; 1935)

Striples and Stars (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Day; 1929)

Symphony No. 6 in A Minor (a.k.a. The Tragic Symphony), by Gustav Mahler (Symphony; 1906)

That’ll Be the Day, by Buddy Holly (Song; 1957)

Three Little Pigs (Disney Cartoon; 1933)

Top Gun: Maverick (Film; 2022)

Travels In Hyperreality, by Umberto Eco (Essays; 1967)

Ventriloquist Cat (MGM Cartoon; 1933)

The War Wagon (Film; 1967)

Winked, Blinken and Nod (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1938)

X-Men: Apocalypse (Film; 2016)

Today’s Name Days

August, Bruno, Randolph (Austria)

Augustin, Bruno, Julije (Croatia)

Valdemar (Czech Republic)

Lucian (Denmark)

Kalvi, Klaudia (Estonia)

Ritva (Finland)

Augustin (France)

August, Bruno, Randolph (Germany)

Alypios, Ioannis Rossos (Greece)

Hella (Hungary)

Agostino, Federico, Oliviero (Italy)

Dzidra, Gunita, Henrijs, Ludolfs (Latvia)

Augustinas, Brunonas, Leonora, Virgaudas, Žymantė (Lithuania)

Cato, Katinka (Norway)

Beda, Izydor, Jan, Juliusz, Lucjan, Magdalena, Radowit (Poland)

Ioan (România)

Iveta (Slovakia)

Agustín, Julio (Spain)

Beda, Blenda (Sweden)

Broderick, Brodie, Brody, Isador, Isadora, Isadore, Isidro (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 148 of 2024; 218 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 22 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Ji-Si), Day 20 (Xin-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 19 Iyar 5784

Islamic: 19 Dhu al-Qada 1445

J Cal: 28 Magenta; Sevenday [28 of 30]

Julian: 14 May 2024

Moon: 71%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 7 St. Paul (6th Month) [St. Augustine]

Runic Half Month: Odal (Home, Possession) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 70 of 92)

Week: 4th Week of May

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 7 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.27

Holidays

Armed Forces Day (Nicaragua)

Bermuda Day (Bermuda)

Bloomer Day

Body Painting Day

Border Guard Day (Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia)

Buttercup Day

Carnival of Nose Music

Cellophane Tape Day

Children’s Day (Nigeria)

Clean Sneakers Appreciation Day

Community Police Officer Day (Ukraine)

Cultivating Comedy Day

Derg Downfall Day (Ethiopia)

Dia de la Madre (a.k.a. Mother's Day; Bolivia)

Emergency Medicine Day

Fête des Voisins (France)

Free Feral Cat Spay Day

Golden Gate Bridge Day

Habeas Corpus Day

International Children’s Day (Nigeria)

International Crop Duster’s Day

International Day of Action for Women’s Health

International Day of Marketing

International Heritage Breeds Day

Jag’s McCartney Day (Turks and Caicos Islands)

Janmotsav of Sri Sri Madhabdeva (Assam, India)

Joe Cool Day (Peanuts)

Lazybones Day (Luilak; Netherlands)

Love Your Lanes Day (UK)

Martagon Lily Day (French Republic)

Menstrual Hygiene Day

Meryl Streep Day

Mother’s Day (Bolivia)

National Aaron Day

National Asher Day

National Christian T-Shirt Day

National Climate Day (Switzerland)

National Gray Day

National Hairstylist Mental Health Awareness Day

National Hamburger Day

National Jordan Day

National Melissa Day

National Multiple Births Awareness Day (Canada)

National Reflexology Day (Canada)

National Sunscreen Day (a.k.a. Sunscreen Protection Day)

Navy Day (Japan)

Nothing to Fear Day

Nysa Asteroid Day

Old-Time Player Piano Day

Pop-Up Toaster Day

Procession of the Golden Chariot and the Battle of Lumecon (Belgium)

Pyrex Day

Rachel Carson Day

Richard Wagner Day

Slavery Abolition Day (Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin)

Stratosphere Ballon Ascent Day

Sunscreen Day

Throw the Bastards Out Day

Tracky Jack Day (Australia)

Whooping Crane Day

World Dhole Day

World Hunger Day

World Product Day

Youm-e-Tkbir (Day of Greatness; Pakistan)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Grape Popsicle Day

Muffin Day (Sweden)

National Brisket Day

National Italian Beef Day

Schmaltz Day

Independence & Related Days

Bartonia (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Domanglia (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

EDO (a.k.a. Empirical Dyarchy of Ohio; Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

First Republic Day (Armenia)

Imperial Kermit Empire (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

Macéyon (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Republic Day (Azerbaijan)

Republic Day (Nepal)

4th & Last Monday in May

Celebration Day (UK) [Last Monday]

Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling and Wake (Cooper’s Hill, UK)

Late May Bank Holiday (Isle of Man)

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

Memorial Day (US) [Last Monday] a.k.a. ... 

Decoration Day (f.k.a.)

Great Jubilee Day, A (f.k.a., commemorated Revolutionary War)

National Hamburger Day

National Moment of Remembrance [3:00 PM]

Poppy Day [also 11.11]

Prayer for Peace Day

Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day (Fiji) [Last Monday]

Spring Bank Holiday (UK) [Last Monday] a.k.a. ... 

Spring Holiday (Jersey)

Tetbury Woolsack Races (UK)

Weekly Holidays beginning May 27 (4th Week)

Week of Solidarity with the People of Non-Self-Governing Territories begins [Last Monday]

Festivals Beginning May 27, 2024

Canadian Screen Awards (Toronto, Canada)

Festival St-Ambroise Fringe de Montréal (Montreal, Canada) thru 6.16]

Prague Fringe Festival (Prague, Czech Republic) [thru 6.1]

re:publica (Berlin, Germany) [thru 5.29]

Vienna Independent Shorts (Vienna, Austria) [thru 6.2]

Feast Days

AL-1995 Plus Tax (Muppetism)

Anna Cervin (Artology)

Augustine of Canterbury (Christian; Saint)

St. Augustine (Positivist; Saint)

Bede the Confessor (Christian; Saint, “Father of the Church”)

Bruno of Würzburg (Christian; Saint)

Buddha Day (Sukka Tanson II; South Korea)

Centennial Games Day (Everyday Wicca)

Dashiell Hammett (Writerism)

Edward Teach Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Eutropius of Orange (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Comus (Greek God of Drunken Revelry)

Findle Fritter’s Stoat-Wheedling Event (Shamanism)

Frigga Blot (Slavic Pagan/Asatru)

Georges Rouault (Artology)

Harlan Ellison (Writerism)

Herman Wouk (Writerism)

Hildebert (Christian; Saint)

Jessie Arms Botke (Artology)

John Cheever (Writerism)

John I, Pope (Christian; Martyr)

Julius the Veteran and His Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Lojze Grozde (Christian; Saint)

Media Ver III (Pagan)

Melangell (Christian; Saint) [Hares]

Pillage Festival (Church of the SubGenius)

Restituta of Sora (Christian; Martyr & Virgin)

Season of Confusion begins (Discordian)

Stretch Yourself Creatively Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

The Three Martyrdoms: Red, Green & White (Celtic Book of Days)

Weasel Tossing Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [27 of 57]

Premieres

Alice Through the Looking Glass (Film; 2016)

American Stars ’n Bars, by Neil Young (Album; 1977)

Blowin’ in the Wind, by Bob Dylan (Song; 1963)

The Bob’s Burgers Movie (Animated Film; 2022)

Bulloney (MGM Cartoon; 1933)

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown (History Book; 1970)

Continuum (TV Series; 2012)

Devil of the Deep (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

Duck Soup to Nuts (WB LT Cartoon; 1944)

An Egg Scramble (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

The Flintstones (Film; 1994)

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1963)

Franny and Zooey, by J.D. Salinger (Short Stories; 1962)

From Russia with Love (US Film; 1964) [James Bond #2]

Gift of Gag (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1955)

Gold Diggers of 1933 (Film; 1933)

God Save the Queen, by The Sex Pistols (Song; 1977)

Love Life (TV Series; 2020)

Lumberjack and Jill (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1949)

Madagascar (Animated Film; 2005)

Melody Time (Animated Disney Film; 1948)

Memento Mori, by Muriel Spark (Novel; 1959)

The Music Mice-Tro (WB MM Cartoon; 1967)

A Mutt in a Rut (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1949)

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV Series; 2022) The Plumed Serpent, by D.H. Lawrence (Novel; 1926)

Prelude to War (Documentary Film; 1942)

QB VII, by Leon Uris (Novel; 1970)

A Short Vision (Animated Short Film; 1956)

Smokey and the Bandit (Film; 1977)

The Sot-Weed Factor, by John Barth (Novel; 1960)

Space Mountain rollercoaster (Disneyland Ride; 1977)

Springtime Serenade (Cartune Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Day; 1935)

Striples and Stars (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Day; 1929)

Symphony No. 6 in A Minor (a.k.a. The Tragic Symphony), by Gustav Mahler (Symphony; 1906)

That’ll Be the Day, by Buddy Holly (Song; 1957)

Three Little Pigs (Disney Cartoon; 1933)

Top Gun: Maverick (Film; 2022)

Travels In Hyperreality, by Umberto Eco (Essays; 1967)

Ventriloquist Cat (MGM Cartoon; 1933)

The War Wagon (Film; 1967)

Winked, Blinken and Nod (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1938)

X-Men: Apocalypse (Film; 2016)

Today’s Name Days

August, Bruno, Randolph (Austria)

Augustin, Bruno, Julije (Croatia)

Valdemar (Czech Republic)

Lucian (Denmark)

Kalvi, Klaudia (Estonia)

Ritva (Finland)

Augustin (France)

August, Bruno, Randolph (Germany)

Alypios, Ioannis Rossos (Greece)

Hella (Hungary)

Agostino, Federico, Oliviero (Italy)

Dzidra, Gunita, Henrijs, Ludolfs (Latvia)

Augustinas, Brunonas, Leonora, Virgaudas, Žymantė (Lithuania)

Cato, Katinka (Norway)

Beda, Izydor, Jan, Juliusz, Lucjan, Magdalena, Radowit (Poland)

Ioan (România)

Iveta (Slovakia)

Agustín, Julio (Spain)

Beda, Blenda (Sweden)

Broderick, Brodie, Brody, Isador, Isadora, Isadore, Isidro (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 148 of 2024; 218 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 22 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Ji-Si), Day 20 (Xin-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 19 Iyar 5784

Islamic: 19 Dhu al-Qada 1445

J Cal: 28 Magenta; Sevenday [28 of 30]

Julian: 14 May 2024

Moon: 71%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 7 St. Paul (6th Month) [St. Augustine]

Runic Half Month: Odal (Home, Possession) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 70 of 92)

Week: 4th Week of May

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 7 of 31)

[scotianostra]

Birthday Gregory Edward “Greg” Hemphill born 14th December 1969 in Glasgow.

I think the majority of us will know who Greg is, one half of the successful partnership with partner, Ford Kiernan that is Still Game.

The family left Scotland when Greg was twelve years old, and he spent much of his childhood in Montreal, Canada. Greg returned home to study at Glasgow University,  in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, graduating MA in 1992.

Greg made his acting debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1990. His work includes roles in God Plus Support in the Theatre and Only an Excuse. He is a regular on the comedy circuit. He also ventured into radio as the original presenter of football show, Off the Ball on BBC Radio Scotland and The Eddie Mair Show. As well as writing for Still Game and Chewin The Fat he has written for Channel 4 programme Space Cadets, BBC’s Pulp Video and The Ferguson Theory.

Still Game has transferred successfully onto the big stage and has sold out countless times at The Hydro. The third and final run of the shows Still Game: The Final Farewell was officially announced on 1st November 2018. The ninth and final series of Still Game was screened in 2019 The show won an ‘Outstanding Contribution’ TV award at Scottish Baftas that year.

Away from his work Greg is a bit of a card shark, he plays in competitions, he has won over thirty thousand dollars in competitions and was third in the Scottish Championships in  2002

Greg has been kind of quiet of late, but the good news is he returns to our screens  on Hogmanay with a new sketch show. The show is set to bring up all the biggest talking points of this year – from COP26 to the wild swimming phenomenon. The show titled “Queen of the New Year” will star Greg and Robert Florence along with Barbara Rafferty, Clive Russell, Gayle Telfer Stevens, Louise McCarthy, John Gordon Sinclair and Juliet Cadzow, so some familiar faces from Still Game and Burnistoun.

Greg is married to Balamory star Julie Wilson Nimmo, 46, they announced they are to their own production company launch Blue Haven Productions Limited. The latest from Greg and Julie who live in the West End of Glasgow, is they will be teaming up  who live in the West End, are appearing together in Olga da Polga, the first-ever  television adaptation of Paddington creator Michael Bond’s beloved books.  The new 13-part, live-action and animation series is produced by Glasgow-based production company Marakids, and it has been made with the full support of the Bond family.

Greg and Julie have been married since 1999, they met while both were working on the 90s sketch show Pulp Video. Greg says of them;

“We met on sketch shows, and we always laughed a lot. We still do. There are lots of laughs, lots of carry on when we work together.”

The couple have another joint project on the go, a documentary about wild swimming, which Julie took up in lockdown in 2020, the second pic shows them both ready to take a dip in Loch Lomond.

“Most people who don’t do it think people who do it are crazy,” says Greg, adding: “As did I, when Jools started doing it. I’d say to her 'come on, it’s Scotland, you’re swimming outside. We just don’t do that'.

“But once I went along and tried it I really loved it. And the documentary is not just about us, we talk to people who tell their stories and look at the science behind the benefits of wild swimming. It’s a deep dive - no pun intended - into how it has changed people’s mindset about the outdoors.”

[deirdreisme]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Sold🎈Carolina Belle Tweed Blazer Large Cropped Eyelash Fringe Career Capsule.

[otakunoculture]

[Victoria Fringe 2023] Renfield, or Dining at the Bughouse - A Review

Although @intrepidtheatre doesn't have a lot of #horror themed shows this year, what's offered in Renfield, or Dining at the Bughouse is sure to please. #yyjfringe #theatre and it's a touring show! (subject to getting selected by lottery)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula has left an indelible impression on pop culture, and there are many ways to read into the tale. For playwright Bill Zaget (who also performed this show at Montreal Fringe), what he’s taken from it is a new way to present the madman who declared this vampire, “Master!” In Renfield, or Dining at the Bughouse, this performer gives this character a life that’s different from…

[omkrgiftafeeling]

Custom Jackets Canada: Tailoring Tradition to Trend

In a country where the climate varies dramatically from coast to coast and from season to season, the value of a reliable jacket cannot be overstated. But, for Canadians, jackets are not just about braving the cold – they are an expression of individuality, a representation of culture, and an embodiment of craft. Enter Custom Jackets Canada, a growing niche that intertwines the traditional functionality of a jacket with personal and fashionable flair.

1. A Nation's Tapestry Woven into Fabric

Canada is a mosaic of cultures, and its diversity is mirrored in the variety of custom jacket designs one can find. From the traditional symbols of the First Nations to the modern graphics of urban street culture, custom jackets have become a canvas for Canadians to showcase their heritage, roots, and individual stories. Each jacket, handcrafted and tailor-made, holds a story, an emblem of pride and an emblem of belonging.

2. The Customization Process

Custom jacket designers in Canada typically offer a myriad of options to their customers. Here's a brief overview:

Material Selection: From rugged leather perfect for that cool biker look to breathable cotton suitable for a lighter touch, the choice of material is paramount. The Canadian winter often demands heavier materials like down, wool, or synthetic blends, while the summers open up options for lighter fabrics.

Design Elements: This is where one's creativity truly shines. Embroidery, patches, prints, and even hand-paintings – the possibilities are limitless. Some Canadians integrate personal motifs or symbols, while others opt for popular cultural or geographical symbols, like the maple leaf or the iconic Rocky Mountains.

Fit and Cut: Customization isn't just about aesthetics. It’s about achieving the perfect fit. Whether one desires a slim-fit bomber jacket or a loose, oversized parka, custom jacket makers cater to all preferences.

3. Sustainable and Local: A Movement Growing in Popularity

The trend of custom jackets is not only driven by fashion or the desire for personalization but also by a growing consciousness about sustainability and supporting local businesses. Rather than mass-produced jackets from overseas, more and more Canadians are choosing to invest in custom-made pieces from local artisans. This not only reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting goods but also supports local economies and craftsmanship.

4. Where to Find Custom Jackets in Canada

Every major Canadian city boasts a myriad of bespoke tailors and designers catering to this demand:

Toronto: Known for its bustling fashion district, Toronto is home to countless designers who specialize in custom jackets, ranging from luxury bespoke experiences to street-style personalized pieces.

Vancouver: With its proximity to the Pacific and a strong Asian influence, Vancouver offers a unique blend of East meets West in its custom jacket designs.

Montreal: As a city steeped in history and art, Montreal boasts a rich tapestry of designers who seamlessly merge traditional and modern designs in their creations.

Calgary and Edmonton: The influence of rodeo culture is evident in the custom jackets found here, with many opting for rugged leather pieces adorned with fringes and traditional patterns.

5. Care for Custom Jackets

Owning a custom jacket means you've invested time, money, and emotion into its creation. Thus, proper care is crucial. Depending on the material, different care methods apply. Leather jackets, for instance, benefit from occasional conditioning to prevent drying out, while down jackets should be aired out and fluffed to maintain their insulation properties. Always consult with the jacket maker for specific care instructions.

6. Conclusion: More Than Just a Jacket

Custom Jackets in Canada have evolved to be more than just a piece of clothing. They are a symbol, a statement, and a story. In a time when mass production often overshadows individuality, the choice to go custom is a tribute to personal expression and a nod to local artisans. As Canada's tapestry grows richer and more diverse, so does the world of custom jackets, reflecting the nation's heart, one stitch at a time.