Combining live music, storytelling, and ballet, “Over the Ridge” gets its world premiere

by Kristi Alexandra on February 26th, 2024 at 11:38 AM

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A new show, Over the Ridge, will get its world premiere at Massey Theatre this spring, the production taking a multi-disciplinary approach to the live theatre production by fusing original contemporary dance with storytelling, spoken word, and live music.

The production is based off of Ridge, a show from Vancouver-based acoustic-folk group the Fugitives that explores and reimagines the experiences of Canadian soldiers in the First World War’s Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Now, in Over the Ridge, the Fugitives—made up of Vancouver musicians Brendan McLeod, Adrian Glynn, Christopher Suen, and Carly Frey—have collaborated with choreographer and Ballet BC dancer Jacob Williams to bring the narrative to life through dance.

“As soon as we started workshopping this and I saw Jacob’s incredible choreography and the dancers’ fantastic interpretation, I realized this was a good way of giving voice to over 20,000 WWI Canadian soldiers who were underage,” says McLeod in a release. “Their youth is embodied on stage in a way that is both literal enough to understand and abstract enough to be aesthetically compelling.”

This world premiere expands upon the themes of Ridge, offering deeper insights and reflections on the Battle of Vimy Ridge—all while advocating against the exploitation of young lives.

“We are so eager to witness Ridge transform into Over the Ridge,” says Massey Theatre’s executive director Jessica Schneider in a statement. “Seeing artists dream bigger and push further in their vision for their work is deeply inspiring. We can’t wait to share this world premiere with you.”