Theatre Passe Muraille’s mainstage season continues with The Flin Flon Cowboy, created by Ken Harrower, Erin Brandenburg, Johnny Myrm Spence and The Flin Flon Cowboy Collective. A look at the life of Ken Harrower through country music, The Flin Flon Cowboy is sure to delight! I got to send both Erin and Ken some questions about the show and their musical inspirations.

1. Could you please introduce yourselves to my readers and talk a bit about your roles with The Flin Flon Cowboy?

My name is Erin Brandenburg, I am the director and one of the co-creators of The Flin Flon Cowboy. Ken Harrower and I co-wrote the script and Johnny Spence and Ken co-composed all the songs and music. We started writing this show in 2018 as a collective. The show is based on Ken’s life and experiences as a disabled gay man growing up in the Manitoba foster care system and navigating life after moving to Toronto as an artist. 

My name is Ken Harrower (The Flin Flon Cowboy). I am sixty-three, I am white, and I use a powerchair to get around. I have been in a powerchair since 1984, before that I was in a manual chair. The Flin Flon Cowboy is based on my life growing up in the foster care system in Manitoba until I turned eighteen. My story is about my life growing up disabled and gay and how I’ve had to learn to maneuver those parts of my life and trying to fit in. I helped co-write the script and the songs. The songs I wrote with Johnny Spence. The script I wrote with Erin Brandenburg and a bit with Dan Watson, Dan helped with Act 1 and got it all started before Erin joined.

2. I’m also from Essex County! That’s awesome! What’s your experience living in Toronto been like?

Erin: Go Essex County! I’ve lived in Toronto for the past 20 years, and my family is here so my experience in Toronto has been great! I went to high school in Leamington, ON and still get back quite often to visit family. 

3. The Flin Flon Cowboy is a collaborative effort with a couple of companies you’re creating with. What’s your favourite part about working with a collaborative team?

Erin: For me theatre is all about collaboration – and especially for this project it takes a huge team to help Ken tell his story. We are lucky to have support from a number of partners who have contributed to the development and production of the show including TPM, Why Not Theatre and Jumblies Theatre. My favourite part about working as a collaborative team is the magic that happens when everyone is able to bring themselves to the project and the individual parts combine to be greater than the whole – in the case of our project, the music, text, visual design and performance aspects all combine to support Ken.  

4. What inspired you to bring your life story to the stage?

Ken: This is something I’ve always wanted to do but until I became an actor I didn’t have anyone to reach out to to help me to tell my story. After I graduated from Toronto Film School in Acting it is something I was determined to do. I had to find the right people to help to tell my story. I told a small part my story in another play I helped to write called Access Me, and after part of my story in that play I just knew I needed to tell more of my story. I haven’t seen or heard too many other plays put on by real disabled actors so I just felt I had to somehow find a way to put my story out there on stage. I love the stage because I am able to interact with the audience as it’s happening.

5. I read that this play is set to country music! Who’s your biggest musical inspiration?

Erin: Flin Flon Cowboy is a cowboy musical because Ken loves country music. It’s also a musical because Ken has a stutter at times when he speaks, but not when he sings. Biggest musical inspiration for this project? Hmm, I’d say my collaborators Ken and Johnny – we’ve been developing this show for over 6 years and the songs and music they created together was the starting impulse to create the show. 

Ken: Well I have a couple. John Denver, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Randy Travis, Patsy Cline, and Reba McEntire.

I want to thank Ken and Erin so much for taking the time to answer my questions. The Flin Flon Cowboy runs at Theatre Passe Muraille from October 19 – November 2nd. For more information and tickets, visit: The Flin Flon Cowboy – Theatre Passe Muraille

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