Voices from Vimy Ridge call out from the Fergus Grand Theatre Stage

CENTRE WELLINGTON –Often called “the battle that made Canada”, Vimy Ridge resulted in over 10,000 Canadian casualties. On Friday, November 8^th the Fergus Grand Theatre is pleased to present Ridge, a show composed from the actual words of soldiers who were there.

In the show, Brendan McLeod and his band, The Fugitives, examine misconceptions and varying perspectives around the battle of Vimy Ridge, while drawing parallels to other formative events in our nation’s past. Featuring innovative musical interpretations of WWI soldier songs (often referred to as ‘Trench Songs’), Ridge probes difficult yet necessary questions about how and why we grieve.

Trench songs were written by frontline soldiers during WWI. Essentially protest songs, they were often parodies of well-known tunes. The Fugitives perform their 5th and JUNO nominated album Trench Songs to accompany the WWI storytelling and thought-provoking narrative McLeod provides. Based on the writing by WWI soldiers, the band wrote new melodies and music for these words. The result is a poignant and stripped-back collection of work that emphasizes the emotional content of the lyrics and continues the long tradition of folk music reshaping songs over time — the same way soldiers reshaped these songs in the trenches.

A vivid, kinetic ride through history, as well as an intimate, personal examination of our connection to the past, Ridge is a visceral work that passionately argues against the exploitation of young lives.

“This show is special,” says Theatre Coordinator Eric Goudie. “It’s the voices from the past that are speaking to us, imploring us to listen. They’re warning us, but in a way that is oddly reassuring, even hopeful.”

The Presenting with Purpose series continues throughout the 2024-2025 season, and features a dynamic array of music, comedy, and theatre, carefully chosen to showcase an eclectic, vibrant mix of the best and brightest in Canadian talent. After Ridge the series continues with The Velveteen Rabbit, a show for the whole family, right after the Fergus Santa Claus Parade on December 7^th.

Tickets for all shows are now on sale, and are available in the box office, by phone at 519-787-1981, or online at www.fergusgrandtheatre.ca.

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