Members of the Ottawa-based band The PepTides are revamping their stage show, LOVE+HATE, for the upcoming undercurrents festival this month. The performances will display the “end of civilization” through music, theatrical sequences, and visuals.
The nine-member band, known for its elaborate showmanship, previously performed the show at the 2014 Ottawa Fringe Festival, and the group was asked to perform it again for undercurrents.
The play, to be performed at the Arts Court Theatre on Daly Avenue, is a social commentary with a satirical edge, addressing the polarizing concepts of love and hate in combination with an imagined end of society.
“It’s a really exciting time to be alive, because the myriad factors that play in our society have really all come together to a very unique century,” says Scott Irving, the band’s keyboardist and script writer.
“It’s sort of the make-or-break century of humanity and perhaps on the Earth in general . . . this play is basically a part of its time.”
Irving also assures that the play will be funnier than its subject matter in an effort to get their message across to the audience.
“We feel that humour is a really important and necessary tool in unpacking what humanity is all about,” he says. “Messages that come to you with a little humour are first of all easier to swallow and second of all, more entertaining.”
Singer DeeDee Butters says the subject matter is relevant because of society’s role in the declining state of the world.
“We’re not quite sure when the end of the world is, but we’re thinking we’re going to be the ones responsible,” she says with a laugh.
The first performance of this play will come just weeks after the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its so-called “Doomsday Clock” up another two minutes, leaving it at three minutes until midnight.
The symbolic clock, meant to represent scientists’ prediction of a countdown to a potential man-made global catastrophe, is now at the latest time it has been since 1984, when the Cold War was seen as an imminent threat.
The performance is also based on two of the bands previous albums: Love Question Mark (2014), and For Those Who Hate Human Interaction (2010). Songs from the albums will be interspersed with three performed dramatic vignettes, connected by the music.
“The two albums are actually mirror albums of each other,” explains Butters. One addresses love in various ways, and the other addresses hate.
The performance will switch between both songs and acted scenes. Stage manager Matt Hertendy explains that the show is entirely created and performed by the members of the band.
“It’s all the band on stage as musicians, actors, everything. It’s their project,” he says.
Some members of the band have a history in the Ottawa theatre scene, drawing them to combine music and acting on stage. The original performance of LOVE+HATE was the bands first time adding this sort of theatre to a performance.
And while this show has been performed previously, The PepTides members explain that they are not simply performing the same show twice.
The Arts Court Theatre provides more space than the band previously had, so the choreography, visuals, and positioning of the characters on stage will all be adjusted for the new venue. Irving also says there will be significant adjustments to some of the music and the set.
“This show actually has a really neat surprise for the public,” he says. “We’re really excited . . . we’re charting a bit of new territory.”
“To have the luxury to make art again is a really great gift, and we’re really grateful that the festival was excited enough about our show that they’d give us that chance.”
Produced by the Ottawa Fringe Festival, undercurrents – currently in its fifth year – showcases independent Canadian theatre. The entire festival will take place at Arts Court.
The PepTides will perform the hour-long show four times during the festival between Feb. 12-21, including both the opening and closing nights.