Fringe Festival Performance schedule in attached PDF (updated July 24, 2024)
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Playbill for fringe festival performances provided below:
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About the play: Rethinking Good Intentions
A compelling account, told by Nancy, a Canadian community health nurse who volunteered with CUSO (now CUSO International). She takes us to the rural villages of Sierra Leone in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Village experiences rattled her cultural preconceptions, provoked her notions of social privilege, and forever deepened her global connections. Her good intentions are transformed by stories that bridge human understanding. This play is based on a portion of Nancy’s memoir: Not One, Not Even One: A Memoir of Life-Altering Experiences in Sierra Leone, West Africa.
Completed Performances of play (2024)
February 6th : Orleans Writing Group, Ottawa Public Library (invitational, in-person) (Workshop)
March 18th: Home concert, Ottawa (invitational, in-person) (Workshop)
March 24th: Baha'i Cultural Centre, Ottawa (invitational, in-person) (Workshop)
April 30th: Gogos - Stephen Lewis Foundation Grannies to Grannies Group, Abbotsford, B.C. (invitational, in-person) (Workshop)
May 16th: Memoir writing group, (Ontario and B.C.) (invitational, virtual workshop) (Workshop)
May 26th: Perley Health, Ottawa (invitational, in-person)
June 6th: Navan Book Club, Ontario (invitational, home concert, in-person)
June 6th: Canadian Federation of University Women, Ottawa Chapter Writing Group, Ottawa (invitational, home concert, in-person)
June 8th: Home concert for winners of silent auction (Canadian Federation of University Women, Ottawa) (invitational, in-person)
June 12th: Stephen Lewis Foundation Grannies to Grannies Group, Penticton, B.C. (invitational, virtual)
July 6th and 20th: Buxton Fringe Festival, England (virtual live performances)
March 18th: Home concert, Ottawa (invitational, in-person) (Workshop)
March 24th: Baha'i Cultural Centre, Ottawa (invitational, in-person) (Workshop)
April 30th: Gogos - Stephen Lewis Foundation Grannies to Grannies Group, Abbotsford, B.C. (invitational, in-person) (Workshop)
May 16th: Memoir writing group, (Ontario and B.C.) (invitational, virtual workshop) (Workshop)
May 26th: Perley Health, Ottawa (invitational, in-person)
June 6th: Navan Book Club, Ontario (invitational, home concert, in-person)
June 6th: Canadian Federation of University Women, Ottawa Chapter Writing Group, Ottawa (invitational, home concert, in-person)
June 8th: Home concert for winners of silent auction (Canadian Federation of University Women, Ottawa) (invitational, in-person)
June 12th: Stephen Lewis Foundation Grannies to Grannies Group, Penticton, B.C. (invitational, virtual)
July 6th and 20th: Buxton Fringe Festival, England (virtual live performances)
upcoming performances of play (2024)
August: Outdoor home concert Ottawa (invitational, in-person, date TBC)
August: Guelph (Ontario) Fringe Festival (in-person, dates and times in performance schedule)
August: London (Ontario) Fringe Festival (in-person, dates and times in performance schedule)
August, Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Fringe North (virtual on demand, dates in performance schedule, times TBC)
August-September, Halifax (Nova Scotia) Fringe Festival (in-person, dates in performance schedule, times TBC)
October 3rd: University of Windsor (Ontario) (in-person, time TBC)
STAY POSTED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES
August: Guelph (Ontario) Fringe Festival (in-person, dates and times in performance schedule)
August: London (Ontario) Fringe Festival (in-person, dates and times in performance schedule)
August, Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Fringe North (virtual on demand, dates in performance schedule, times TBC)
August-September, Halifax (Nova Scotia) Fringe Festival (in-person, dates in performance schedule, times TBC)
October 3rd: University of Windsor (Ontario) (in-person, time TBC)
STAY POSTED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES
What audiences are saying
"Impressive, very powerful, very emotional to me."
"Engaging, innovative, moving, funny and informative in a lasting way. Wonderful work! I cried a few times, tears of joy when you told us how the Mende women became responsible to decide their kids could be vaccinated."
"Touching at end!!"
"Completely positive, so many worthwhile messages! Sincere messages. Bravo, Nancy!"
"I was drawn in from the start – could identify with the different stages and circumstances in the stories."
"Enjoyable, informative, educational. The story was very well done, great writing."
"Every emotion under the Mende sun. You came through so brilliantly."
"Beautifully written – pathos, humour, detail, compassion, self-awareness."
"Outstanding, moving. Mix of all emotions, the time flew by. Learned a lot."
"Nancy, you brought me there with you."
"Poignant, funny, rich with culture and conveyance of natural environment, language."
"Inspired, reminded me of my own experiences in Africa."
"Tears as the memories flooded back."
"Loved it. So relatable."
"Engaging, innovative, moving, funny and informative in a lasting way. Wonderful work! I cried a few times, tears of joy when you told us how the Mende women became responsible to decide their kids could be vaccinated."
"Touching at end!!"
"Completely positive, so many worthwhile messages! Sincere messages. Bravo, Nancy!"
"I was drawn in from the start – could identify with the different stages and circumstances in the stories."
"Enjoyable, informative, educational. The story was very well done, great writing."
"Every emotion under the Mende sun. You came through so brilliantly."
"Beautifully written – pathos, humour, detail, compassion, self-awareness."
"Outstanding, moving. Mix of all emotions, the time flew by. Learned a lot."
"Nancy, you brought me there with you."
"Poignant, funny, rich with culture and conveyance of natural environment, language."
"Inspired, reminded me of my own experiences in Africa."
"Tears as the memories flooded back."
"Loved it. So relatable."
REVIEWS
Buxton Fringe Festival July 6th, 2024 Performance
This online performance by Canadian writer and former nurse Nancy Edwards takes us to the Sierra Leone of 1980. Nancy spent 5 years based at Serabu Hospital living on the compound itself. Her new home is far removed, physically, culturally and socially from her native Canada, and Nancy is so unsure of her place in this primitive world of village chiefs, rainforests, abundant wildlife and witch hunters that she cannot even relay observations and experiences to her own parents when she first arrives.
A change of her original role upon arrival at the hospital reduces Nancy's confidence in herself whilst her Canadian boldness of speech then leads her into a cultural faux pas with a highly regarded village chief. And so begins Nancy's journey in learning how to live and work successfully alongside her colleagues and patients in a country where life is so uncertain that parents give their children names which mean "let this one live".
Interspersed with photographs to provide scene breaks and with accompanying music from the region which was recorded by Nancy herself, she takes us with ease and authenticity to the villages where she worked. Here, the Granny midwives and (often) despairing mothers of an impoverished country where infant mortality is high and medical help is extremely basic and very limited provide the backdrop.
This is a story about people of different cultures experiencing the rocky road of life together and whilst seeming to be far removed from each other, as the ending of this piece of theatre shows, unexpected connections from the past can come to greet us.
In an hour, Nancy paints for her audience a colourful canvas of her reflections upon her 5 years of living in Sierra Leone with clarity and emotion whilst keeping our interest and our desire to hear more. A praiseworthy and thought-provoking production.
Nancy's next live performance online is on the 20th July from 5pm to 6pm where a Q&A session will also be offered.
Review by Julie Alexander
Buxton Fringe Festival July 6th, 2024 Performance
This online performance by Canadian writer and former nurse Nancy Edwards takes us to the Sierra Leone of 1980. Nancy spent 5 years based at Serabu Hospital living on the compound itself. Her new home is far removed, physically, culturally and socially from her native Canada, and Nancy is so unsure of her place in this primitive world of village chiefs, rainforests, abundant wildlife and witch hunters that she cannot even relay observations and experiences to her own parents when she first arrives.
A change of her original role upon arrival at the hospital reduces Nancy's confidence in herself whilst her Canadian boldness of speech then leads her into a cultural faux pas with a highly regarded village chief. And so begins Nancy's journey in learning how to live and work successfully alongside her colleagues and patients in a country where life is so uncertain that parents give their children names which mean "let this one live".
Interspersed with photographs to provide scene breaks and with accompanying music from the region which was recorded by Nancy herself, she takes us with ease and authenticity to the villages where she worked. Here, the Granny midwives and (often) despairing mothers of an impoverished country where infant mortality is high and medical help is extremely basic and very limited provide the backdrop.
This is a story about people of different cultures experiencing the rocky road of life together and whilst seeming to be far removed from each other, as the ending of this piece of theatre shows, unexpected connections from the past can come to greet us.
In an hour, Nancy paints for her audience a colourful canvas of her reflections upon her 5 years of living in Sierra Leone with clarity and emotion whilst keeping our interest and our desire to hear more. A praiseworthy and thought-provoking production.
Nancy's next live performance online is on the 20th July from 5pm to 6pm where a Q&A session will also be offered.
Review by Julie Alexander
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/0/8/140880854/thumbnail-img-1513_orig.jpg)
On stage at Perley Health and virtual performances from my home theatre for home concerts, Buxton Fringe Festival and Fringe North.