How do you take the songs of one of Canada’s most beloved bands and weave them into a story about exile, identity and starting over? Creators and performers Ahmed Moneka and Jesse LaVercombe join Tom Power to talk about their new musical, It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken, inspired by the iconic music of The Tragically Hip. Set in 2002 in The Hip’s hometown of Kingston, Ont., the show follows an exiled Iraqi journalist who’s rebuilding his life in Canada. Ahmed and Jesse discuss the creative weight of representing Gord Downie’s legacy on the stage, their unlikely creative partnership, and how their own life journeys worked their way into the musical.
