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Harris and Newsom start to lose voter excitement even in Calif.
A new poll asked voters about the 2028 chances for the two leading Democrats.
Yankees’ Jose Caballero Starting At Third Base
Yankees utility player Jose Caballero will get the start today at third base in the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays.Caballero (age 30) is a former Tampa Bay Ray who was traded to the Yankees at last year’s MLB trade deadline. Caballero is hitting a .236 batting average […] The post Yankees’ Jose Caballero Starting At Third Base appeared first on HEAVY.
Grand Theft Auto 6's Miami Takeover Begins as Rockstar Spends Nearly $1 Million on 'Welcome to Vice City' Signage
Rockstar Games has reportedly spent $1 million to install a "Welcome to Vice City" sign in Miami as part of Grand Theft Auto 6's marketing push.
Why HIV stigma still shapes health outcomes
Jerrell Hardnett remembers the moment his mother, Stephanie, an HIV nurse, learned he was HIV‑positive. He says she was driving on the highway when “she started crying and praying because […]
New Taylor Swift music is coming! 'Patient Zero' single announced
New Taylor Swift music is coming! The pop superstar has announced a new single, "Patient Zero," set to drop on Friday, Sept. 25.
Googlebook Reactions: Who Are These $899+ Laptops For?
Google unveiled its first wave of Googlebook laptops this week. The pricing surprised a few people, with the laptops starting at $899 and quickly jumping over $1,000 for some models. We have full Googlebook details here if you missed it, but essentially, they are designed to be perfect pairings with your Android phone. If you’re...
Jacks stars as England grind out win over Sri Lanka
Will Jacks' all-round efforts help England grind out an 89-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street.
Justin Verlander’s Tigers Farewell Start Is Officially On
Justin Verlander completed his final bullpen test and is officially set to make his last MLB start Saturday for the Detroit Tigers.
Yankees Offer Update on Injured Starter Ahead of Rays Series
The New York Yankees are dealing with several injury issues to key players, with Aaron Judge being the most notable ailing star heading into a series against the Tampa Bay Rays.Judge isn’t expected to be available for the first round of the playoffs, manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Tuesday, September 22, including Chris Kirschner […] The post Yankees Offer Update on Injured Starter Ahead of Rays Series appeared first on HEAVY.
Real Madrid star Mbappé misses France training
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé was forced to sit out group training with the France national team on Tuesday morning. This comes with the attacker dealing with a bout of illness.Mbappé was for his p...
Comments Reveal A Striking Truth About Trae Young’s Hawks Era
Trae Young accomplished plenty during his time with the Atlanta Hawks, but one thing consistently appeared to be missing around the former franchise superstar. Atlanta surrounded Young with several quality players throughout his tenure, yet the organization never truly found another elite offensive threat capable of consistently forcing defenses to shift their attention away from …
Packers Get Brutal ‘Season Is Chalked’ Message After Jets Escape
Green Bay avoided an 0-2 start, but its first two games left one ESPN analyst questioning how much can be trusted going forward. The post Packers Get Brutal ‘Season Is Chalked’ Message After Jets Escape appeared first on HEAVY.
Opinion: Guimaraes still needs time despite his Premier League experience
Bruno Guimaraes enjoyed the perfect start to life as an Arsenal player until last weekend, when he was seriously exposed by a relentless Brighton side. His difficult outing highlighted the challenges ...
Jessica Shepard's breakout season with the Dallas Wings doesn't surprise her
Shepard is a first-time All-Star and sudden triple-double machine, tied with career WNBA leader Alyssa Thomas of Phoenix for the most this season with five while helping the Wings reach the playoffs.
Chicago Bears Injury News: Tyson Bagent in concussion protocol
The Bears are likely without starting QB Caleb Williams for Monday’s game against the Eagles, and now QB2 Tyson Bagent is in concussion protocol.
Brent Venables Gives MAJOR Update On David Stone's Injury
Confusion swirls after a freak practice collision leaves Oklahoma’s star defensive anchor sidelined, as Venables clarifies the injury details as the Sooners await critical news on Stone’s availability
Taylor Swift announces new single 'Patient Zero' after Swifties try to decode her mysterious zeros
Swifties, it's happening: Our favorite pop star is releasing new music.
Democrats pounce on report tying Collins to defense contractor
It all started when ProPublica investigated the impacts of President Donald Trump’s decision to clean house at the FBI and the Department of Justice in 2024.
Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of Sept. 22
Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Ex-Eagles Star WR Sends Message To Zach Ertz
The veteran tight end Zach Ertz is heading back to the Philadelphia Eagles for a second stint. One of Ertz’s former teammates, Jordan Matthews, is happy to see the tight end get a second shot at helping the Eagles land back in the Super Bowl. Ex-Eagles Star WR Sends Message To Zach Ertz “[Zach Ertz] […] The post Ex-Eagles Star WR Sends Message To Zach Ertz appeared first on HEAVY.
A gut feeling: Connections between gastrointestinal disease and emotional health in dogs
Gastrointestinal disease and emotional health are known to be linked in humans, but what about in dogs? Researchers have started exploring this connection, and they have reason to believe that even in cases of well-managed chronic enteropathy, affected dogs may benefit for their behavioral health.
Florida's College Football Playoff Odds Skyrocket After 3-0 Start
Surging metrics give the Gators a fighting chance in a crowded SEC. With a crucial Ole Miss showdown looming, Gainesville braces for a gauntlet that could define their season.
What have we learned from Barcelona’s start to the season?
Hansi Flick’s side have made a stunning start to the campaign.
Arsenal told Sunderland star suits them and would do well
Arsenal spent a significant amount of time in talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Club last season and were confident that they had secured a superb striker to improve their squad. However, he...
Brent Venables shares positive injury update on DT David Stone
Oklahoma Sooners star defensive tackle David Stone suffered a knee injury at practive, but Brent Venables shared a positve update.
Astros Must Rediscover Championship DNA to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
In their heyday, the Dallas Cowboys would often win on Sundays simply due to the star on the side of their helmets. Twenty straight playoff appearances will do that kind of thing, intimidating the opposing sideline before the ball was even kicked off. The Houston Astros have experienced their own championship pedigree. What started with […]
Week 3 fantasy wide reciever rankings: Top WR streamers, starts
Cowboys wideout CeeDee Lamb gave his fantasy managers a leg up on the competition in Week 2. Is he poised for another star turn against the Ravens?
Why Greg Evigan passed on “Knight Rider” lead: ‘I didn’t want to do the same thing again’
The actor went on to flex his comedy chops when he starred on “My Two Dads,” with Paul Reiser.
Country star overthrows Mariah Carey’s record for longest-running No. 1 song in U.S. history
Carey previously held the title with her perennial Christmas smash “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” though a rising country act has now shattered the record.
Rachel Marsh on ‘Love Hypothesis,’ ‘Adults’ and figuring out Hollywood
Seattle-raised Rachel Marsh stars in Prime Video's new rom-com, "The Love Hypothesis," which premieres Wednesday on the streaming service.
Major AI companies say their products will commit crimes. Where are the police?
Leaders and researchers at frontier artificial intelligence labs say the products they’re making may hack into other companies and have a possibility of harming or even killing humans. Lone Star Politics asks Brendan Steinhauser from the Alliance for Secure Ai where is law enforcement?
‘Real World: San Diego’ Alum Robin Hibbard Shares Health Update After Substance Abuse Struggles
Real World: San Diego alum and former The Challenge star Robin Hibbard is sharing a hopeful health update after a years-long battle with substance abuse. Hibbard, 46, shared the update in the comments...
Rockstar Issues Major Update Before 'GTA 6' Release
GTA and RDR2 fans have strict new rules to worry about on PC, according to a new Rockstar announcement
Democrat in Central Dallas County aims to unseat powerful Republican House Member
Allison Mitchell is the Democratic candidate running against the powerful Chairman of the Texas House Ways and Means Committee, Morgan Meyer. Lone Star Politics speaks to her about he uphill battle in the Park Cities and central Dallas. Meyer has not yet responded to a request for an interview.
OU football recruiting tracker: 4-star linebacker Jay Schell commits
This post tracks OU football's recruitment out of high school. The Sooners currently have 27 commits in the 2027 class and are ranked No. 6 in the nation. They currently
This Week In Happy Valley: Defense Leads The Way
Penn State football’s secondary exits non-conference play as one of the team’s most dominant position groups. Who should be Penn State’s starting running back as Big Ten play begins? The most important stats behind Penn State’s quick 3-0 start. Saturday’s win over Buffalo was the lowest recorded attendance at Beaver Stadium since the start of […]
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
The Apple Watch Series 12 is now available, two years after the Series 10 introduced the current thinner design. But is it worth upgrading? While last year's Series 11 brought just four changes, the Series 12 is a much more substantial update, with a new chip, twice as much RAM, redesigned health sensors, exclusive health and audio features, tougher cover glass, 5G connectivity, and new case materials. The Series 12 starts at the same $399 price as the Series 10 did in 2024.
Tyrone Tracy News: Steelers, Giants Connected In Trade Rumors
Tyrone Tracy is still a member of the New York Giants, but that may not be the case for long. A former fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Purdue product began his career on a relatively high note. Appearing in all 17 games while making 12 starts, the rookie finished his inaugural campaign …
How “Primetime” director convinced Robert Pattinson to play Chris Hansen: Four Lokos, gummies, and a late rewrite
Director Lance Oppenheim reveals the moment the actor decided to star in the film after initially boarding only as a producer.
Peptides Are Spreading on Social Media. Here’s How Platforms Can Better Protect Public Health
For starters, they need to take the same approach they did to vaping
Week 3 fantasy running back rankings: Top streamers, starts
The NFL's leading rusher after two weeks, Kansas City's Kenneth Walker III, has also been the most targeted RB in the passing game. Where does he slot this week?
I started drinking at 12. It took multiple DUIs, serious health issues, and homelessness for me to quit at 44.
Clemson, Georgia Cancel 4-Game Series in Football
Clemson and Georgia have mutually agreed to cancel the upcoming 4 game series between the two schools according to reporting by the Athens Banner-Herald. The news was discovered via an open records request this week, though the agreement was signed back in March. The Tigers and Bulldogs planned to play each other 4 times starting […]
‘Monster’ $80 Million Buffalo Bills Defender Singled Out
Fox Sports singled out $80 million Buffalo Bills edge rusher after torrid start to season. The post ‘Monster’ $80 Million Buffalo Bills Defender Singled Out appeared first on HEAVY.
Frank Ski launches weekly YouTube podcast ‘Frankly Speaking’
V-103 host Frank Ski has started a podcast, "Frankly Speaking," featuring interviews with politicians, celebrities and lifestyle experts. He records from his home.
STC Sees 12% Jump in Dual Credit Students
South Texas College’s nationally recognized Dual Credit Programs is celebrating a 12% enrollment increase for the 2026-2027 academic year - a milestone that represents advances in college readiness for students across Hidalgo and Starr Counties.
A Geico Holiday Special? Insurance Giant’s New CMO Widens Spotlight on Entertainment
Geico’s famous animated Gecko used to turn up only in TV commercials. He recently enjoyed guest-star billing on a podcast. The cartoonish figure with the sophisticated accent appeared in June on WNBA ...
Florida State’s roster overhaul gets harsh early grade by 247 Sports
247Sports’ Cody Nagel gave Florida State the lowest grade among Power Four programs with 50-plus newcomers after a 1-2 start.
Stars & Skulls Grades for Steelers-Patriots
Things did not go well for the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, […]
Virtual SUD support platform Nosis launches to address lifestyle, diet needs
Nosis, a platform supporting substance use disorder (SUD) recovery, is launching from stealth in all 50 states. | The virtual startup leverages labs with health coaches and dietitians to address the biological and metabolic health needs of individuals in recovery.
Around the AFC South Week 2
It has been a tough start for the AFC South with 3 of the 4 teams starting 0-2.
Trump in address to world leaders at UN defends his decision to start Iran war
Trump accused Iran of stalling to make a deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an endgame to the war until after the midterms
Jason Kelce Gives Raw Reaction To Eagles’ Zach Ertz Move
Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce was live on air for Monday Night Football when he heard the news about Dallas Goedert. Prior to the Los Angeles Rams-New York Giants game, the Eagles spread the word about their star tight end. While Goedert didn’t suffer a season-ending injury in the Week 2 battle against the […] The post Jason Kelce Gives Raw Reaction To Eagles’ Zach Ertz Move appeared first on HEAVY.
Spurs legend Hughton 'very confident things will improve'
Former Tottenham defender Chris Hughton says he is "very confident things will improve" under Roberto de Zerbi despite a poor start to the 2026-27 season. Sometimes it clicks straight away, sometimes it takes time.
Jessica Lange gave strict condition to Ryan Murphy for returning to “American Horror Story” — and it’s not a ‘musical number’
The star revealed the one stipulation she had before agreeing to come back, and revealed she plays a secret fifth character on “AHS” season 13.
Tom Brady, Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders' surprise start to the NFL season
Sky Sports NFL presenter Neil Reynolds explores the early impact of Kirk Cousins in leading the Las Vegas Raiders to a surprise unbeaten start through the first two weeks of the season; Cousins starred in Sundays win over the Los Angeles Chargers as he plays mentor to Fernando Mendoza
Florida promoted in CBS Sports' college football re-rank after Week 3
After a 3-0 start, the Florida Gators find themselves just outside the top 15 in CBS Sports' Week 3 college football re-rank.
University of New Haven starts construction on new business school building
A rendering of the new Pompea College of Business at University of New Haven building, as seen looking west up
Microsoft starts a new round of job cuts
Microsoft started a new round of layoffs on Tuesday, primarily in its Xbox gaming division but also including roles in other units such as Cloud + AI.
Entertainment-Booking Startup Ande Raises $52 Million From Lightspeed, Redpoint
Personal AI agents like Instinct and Muse have promised to take away the hassle of booking hard-to-get restaurant reservations, Broadway tickets and sporting events. Now, a startup is coming out of stealth to do the same for corporate entertainment—events, group dining, catering, sporting events ...
Texans throw some weird bulletin-board material after Bengals beatdown
A comment in the aftermath of the Bengals routing the Texans is starting to get attention.
Calvin Klein Introduces the New Perfectly Fit Bra Starring Teyana Taylor
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 22, 2026--
Week 3 power rankings: 49ers rise after 2-0 start
The 49ers proved their one of the top teams in the NFL after winning their first two games of the season.
Player Preview: Adam Oumiddoch
The four-star freshman hopes to be a regular contributor from day one.
With new Macs, Apple aims to take on Microsoft, Nvidia in a rush to lower AI costs
When Apple's new desktop computers start shipping Tuesday, the company's executives will make an unusual pitch to corporate buyers: They are cheaper than renting data centers.
With new Macs, Apple aims to take on Microsoft, Nvidia in a rush to lower AI costs
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 22 (Reuters) - When Apple's new desktop computers start shipping Tuesday, the company's executives will make an unusual pitch to corporate buyers: They are cheaper than renting data centers. Apple's upgraded Mac Minis and Mac Studios which can cost nearly $20,000 and handle AI tasks locally will go head-to-head against new desktop machines that Nvidia and PC makers are rolling out, expected to be the focus of a Microsoft Windows event in San Francisco next month.
Teal Health raises $22M ahead of expected surge in demand with new coverage mandate
Teal Health, maker of an FDA-approved at-home cervical cancer screening device, has raised $22 million in a Series A funding round. | Starting in 2027, most health plans are required to cover the cost of self-collected tests with no cost to consumers, including follow-up tests. Teal is working to coordinate billing with major commercial payers ahead of that deadline.
Mariachi, heavy metal and a little blood spatter: Things to do in Merced in October
A four-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter performs at the Merced Theater.
Darth disappointment
Darth disappointment. A political cartoon by Bob Whitmore about public radio funding cuts, WMNF fundraising and Star Wars.
San Francisco 49ers schedule, stats through 2 games
A look at the 49ers, whom the Cardinals face in Week 3, and what they have done so far in their 2-0 start.
Chicago Bears Get Valuable Jalen Hurts Lesson From Titans Star
Clearly, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts taught the NFL a valuable lesson at this point. The more players and coaches from the other side taunt or challenge him, the worse off it is for defenses going up against him. The Tennessee Titans recently learned a lesson from the former Super Bowl MVP. While the Titans […] The post Chicago Bears Get Valuable Jalen Hurts Lesson From Titans Star appeared first on HEAVY.
Hall of Famer Warns Browns QB Deshaun Watson
A Hall of Famer had a stark warning for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson ahead of his home debut. The post Hall of Famer Warns Browns QB Deshaun Watson appeared first on HEAVY.
'A really positive start for Barry'
Thierno Barry has been the surprise hit of Everton's season so far, with the 23-year-old striker the match-winner against Ipswich to take his tally to five goals this season. It is a marked improvement in scoring ratio from his eight goals in 41 games last season - and BBC Sport Merseyside commenter Chris Coughlin believes Barry is becoming a favourite with fans. It is Everton heritage and an honour to wear the number nine.
River Ryan Shines in First Start With Detroit Tigers
River Ryan delivered three scoreless innings with three strikeouts in his Detroit Tigers debut.
Monday Night Therapy: Huskers vs. Spartans Week 4
Minnie Hunt welcomes Husker Chuck back to Monday Night Therapy to recap Nebraska’s 3-0 start and look ahead to the Huskers’ first Big Ten matchup against Michigan State. While Nebraska handled its first three opponents as expected, Chuck cautions that conference play represents a significant jump in competition and should provide a much better measuring […]
Mandeville native Julia Ernst's star is on the rise as she sings her way toward opera career
She has sung for the music director of the New York Philharmonic, studies opera at Yale and may be headed toward a career on some of the world’s biggest stages. But Mandeville’s Julia Ernst still misses her mama — and the fried shrimp po’boys at Zara's Lil Giant Supermarket on Prytania.
Micah Nori’s First Real Trail Blazers Test Is Already Here
With a star-studded backcourt vying for possession, Portland’s new head coach must master a delicate balancing act to turn redundant offensive talent into a cohesive championship contender.
“Politics Are Desperately Important at the Moment”: Bill McKibben on Midterms, Trump & Climate Crisis
Ahead of the midterm elections, activist and writer Bill McKibben says he has been traveling across the United States with Third Act, the environmental group he founded to harness the power of seniors who care about the climate and democracy. “These elections are also starting to set the groundwork for 2028,” says McKibben, who calls the next U.S. presidential vote “maybe the last election that happens in a timeframe when we still really have an opportunity to affect some of the outcomes of these things.”
Thrive City becomes San Francisco's first full-time entertainment zone
This weekend's playoff game for the Golden State Valkyries will mark the start of Thrive City becoming San Francisco's first full-time "entertainment zone."
Penguins announce Crosby, Malkin return for Tuesday preseason game
Some more notable starters are seeing preseason action tonight for the Penguins after Bryan Rust and Kris Letang took the ice in Monday night’s win over the Buffalo Sabres. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will both be playing Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings’ preseason squad, according to the Penguins. They’ll be joined by […]
Four clubs eyeing struggling Arsenal star
Viktor Gyokeres moved to Arsenal just over a year ago, but he already finds himself struggling for regular action despite arriving as one of the deadliest strikers in the world.When he competed for Sp...
Why's Dirk Nowitzki 'Passing Notes' To Mavs Star Cooper Flagg?
The Mavericks legend said he keeps in touch with Cooper Flagg and sends him advice when he notices something in his game.
Liverpool's Search For A New Sporting Director Continues as Top Candidates Emerge
Liverpool are stepping up their hunt for a new sporting director following the departure of Richard Hughes at the start of the month, with two names in particular being linked with the high-profile role.
Public health leaders report widespread harassment, threats after COVID-19
Backlash against public health officials, including intimidation and threats of physical harm, has been widespread in the years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and public health officials face ...
Sports: high school soccer in spotlight
Canton, Ogdensburg notched wins to start the week.
Bob the Drag Queen is a comedian first. Here’s why
The winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Broadway actor, Madonna tour emcee and author returns to Iowa with stand-up comedy — the thing that started it all.
AEW All Out 2026 Date, Start Time, Key Matches
A look at the key matches, start time, and date for the AEW All Out 2026 pay-per-view, which features Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley.
Latest injury news from France camp affects two PSG stars
PSG have lost a key player to injury – but it doesn’t sound serious, and it gives one of their other stars a chance to take his place.If you enjoy PSG Talk coverage and want to see more of it, add...
Arsenal Women’s start raises early title concerns
Another slow start threatens to derail Arsenal’s title challenge before it really gets going.Photo by Sarah Ray-Gain/Getty ImagesBefore this season, the manager and players knew what had happened in...
Saudi Arabia restarts East-West oil pipeline, to resume exports from Yanbu, sources say
Saudi Arabia has restarted operations at its East-West Pipeline and could resume exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu later on Tuesday, three sources briefed on the matter said.
Latest injury update on Georgia star running back Nate Frazier
Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart gives an update on injured star running back Nate Frazier ahead of Oklahoma game
Indiana Pacers season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction
The Indiana Pacers are poised to be NBA Finals contenders after a one-year hiatus following the Achilles injury suffered by star Tyrese Haliburton.
Big Ten Conference announces start time for Nebraska-Maryland matchup
Nebraska has announced the kickoff time for its Homecoming game against Maryland.
How lip-syncing to AI let Forced Entertainment ‘play the game of theatre’
Today we have a fascinating piece by long-time Forced Entertainment fan Ben Kulvichit, speaking to Tim Etchells about their latest show Cold Sweat, how they are integrating lip-sync and AI voices into their work, the question of ‘authenticity’ on stage, and how lip-sync has even opened the door for them to make “something a little bit like drama”. This piece is a paid partnership with the Southbank Centre, where you can see Cold Sweat next month – we’re very grateful to the Southbank Centre for their ongoing support for Exeunt. Holly Williams ‘It was immediately interesting and uncanny’ **By Ben Kulvichit** “Is the microphone on?” So goes one of the opening lines of Signal to Noise, delivered by a human performer lip-syncing to an AI-generated voice. The voice is American, cheery but sluggish, slowed down into a gelatinous drawl. It repeats ad infinitum in a farce of stuckness; an answer never materialises. I find myself asking the same question as I hop on a Google Meet call with Tim Etchells, the artistic director of Forced Entertainment. We spend five or ten minutes frowning at each other, muting and unmuting, me gesticulating in semaphore into my webcam, checking if I am coming through now, restarting the laptop. To Etchells, I appear exaggeratedly mouthing words, my voice missing. In this gloopy purgatory of broken communication, life imitates art imitates life imitates art. We try a Zoom instead. Forced Entertainment, the pioneering British theatre company who have been at the avant-garde of performance since the 1980s, turned an interesting artistic corner with Signal to Noise, created on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. The whole performance employed this lip-sync technique to AI voices; on the face of it a left-field move from a company whose identity has long been grounded in the earthy, immediate presences of its performers and its unassuming, low-tech approach to theatricality. The technique, however, turned out to provide the company with a “rich new seam” of artistic enquiry, and has now spawned a trilogy of works. The second instalment, Cold Sweat, plays at Sheffield Theatres, Southbank Centre, and Lancaster Arts in October, while the third part, Everything Must Go, has been touring in Europe and is slated to come to the UK in 2027. As is often the case with Forced Entertainment shows, the main conceit for this work didn’t arrive until quite late. They were “four or five weeks into rehearsals for Signal to Noise,” Etchells recalls, and getting nowhere. Away from rehearsals, he had been playing around with feeding “weird texts” to AI voices to see how they would cope with them – “basically for my own amusement” – and was compelled by the uniformly “serviceable, benign, good-natured” tone they would read in, no matter how poetic, fractured or experimental the writing. On a hunch, he brought some examples into rehearsals and the performers gave lip-syncing a go. “It was immediately interesting and uncanny,” he recalls, with the performers having to deal in the moment with the problem of mapping themselves onto another artificial ‘performer,’ which itself was dealing with the problem of a very human text. “Almost all the writing for these projects would be useless to us unless it was done in this way,” says Etchells. “We wouldn’t know what to do with it. It’s too poetic. It’s too fictional. It’s too tangled.” But exploring lip-syncing along to the text has opened “an enormous reservoir of ways of thinking about writing and performing.” Subscribe to Exeunt, and get two in-depth pieces on theatre a week, direct to your inbox Subscribe Forced Entertainment have long been sifting through the detritus of popular culture, from daytime TV to end-of-the-pier vaudeville, magic acts and clown shows, to find frameworks for their own unusual entertainments. Lip-syncing, then, makes sense for them to experiment with. As a mode of performance, it’s wired into popular consciousness through pop stars trying to convince stadium audiences of their liveness, or those same voices as channeled through the made-up lips of contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or movie dialogue spreading virally through the host bodies of TikTok users. For Etchells, lip-syncing is often about “approaching real voices and trying to take on their aura,” subsuming that original human presence into yours. “There’s a very basic, elemental sort of theatre magic to it, produced in this very easy way.” This broad approach resonates with instances of lip-syncing within contemporary performance, too. In works like Re-Member Me and Showmanism, performance artist Dickie Beau acts as a kind of spirit medium for archival recordings (this process of re-membering – as in, giving corporeal form to voices – relies on his masterfully precise actor’s technique), while Frankie Thompson is similarly possessed by a host of characters ranging from a nine-year-old Jacob Rees-Mogg to Cliff Richards, all of whom she finds compellingly nauseating, in the exorcism ritual that is her latest show, Horrible Things. What’s different about Forced Entertainment’s use of lip-syncing is that here, there is no original presence to be channeled. The performers are instead taking on what Etchells describes as “the voices of nobody,” or rather the “phantasmic, aggregated echoes” of the many many voices on whose data the AI has been trained, and which are now conjuring into existence words they never actually said. There is a sort of mournful, empty quality to these voices, having “washed up” far away from the people they originally belonged to, to find themselves in stranger’s mouths listing objects, wondering if anyone can hear them and glitching in interminable loops. There is a cold, sad anonymity to it all. Etchells remarks that occasionally the software company he used has notified him that particular people are withdrawing their voices from the platform, instructing him to cease use of those voices. Using these technologies in performance certainly brings up ethical questions around digital rights, consent, identity and ownership, although in the grand scheme of things, Etchells is fairly blasé about it: of all the purposes someone’s voice might be put to without their knowledge, “an avant-garde performance is probably the least of their worries.” [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) [ Frankie Thompson: How I manage my own ‘horrible things’ at the Edinburgh Fringe ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) Exeunt · Aug 25 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) For the performers, though, lip-syncing to these strange, artificial voices is an odd task, requiring them to bend their live, human presence into the shapes produced by machines. Politically, it mirrors processes that are already at play in the continued computational automation of human life. Etchells brings up James Bridle’s writings on new technologies as a reference point: one example Bridle gives is of “chaotic storage”, a logistics technique employed by Amazon fulfilment centres whereby items are stored not according to traditional methods of categorisation or alphabetisation, but in a way that an algorithm determines to produce the most efficient routes for ‘picking’ based on customer purchase patterns. This appears completely random and incomprehensible to humans, with paddling pools sitting next to USB sticks sitting next to blowtorches, and so for the warehouse workers, the process of picking items becomes completely reliant on technology which tells them where to go. Our world is increasingly being designed not with humans in mind, but rather machines. As Etchells puts it, “technology malforms the space, and then you end up having to live in it.” Initially, Forced Entertainment tried their best to live in the world of machines: “I was in the it’s-got-to-be-perfect school of lip-sync,” says Etchells. But with their aesthetic being so tied to the failing act, the slipping mask, the shoddy costume, “it’s no surprise really that that didn’t last.” Instead, the performers got to enjoy being late for a line, or playing games with each other, “stealing” each other’s voices. Etchells compares it to the principles of ventriloquism, in which a free-floating voice unattached to a body is fundamentally discomforting and “sort of traumatic”. That discomfort is equally as alluring to Forced Entertainment as the satisfaction of precision, the pretence of authenticity only interesting if shown to be a pretence. Lip-sync has also opened up new avenues for the company. Having been allergic all their lives to Plays-with-a-capital-P, with Cold Sweat Forced Entertainment find themselves approaching something a little bit like drama. Rather than the presentational arena of Signal to Noise’s open white stage, Cold Sweat places us more decisively in a “fictional locale”: what appears to be “the aftermath of some disastrous party or backyard drinking binge” where three figures – family members, or neighbours, perhaps – are the last ones standing. “It’s all quite acrimonious and accusatory, everyone’s talking over each other.” For Etchells, this more fictional mode is “a door that we’ve never been able to open. We’ve just never really gone there.” Perhaps it is the technique of lip-syncing, an extra buffer of mediation, that allows them to venture away from the here-and-now without feeling that they have to commit to the “psychological claptrap” that comes along with acting; to be able to “play the game of theatre, without getting one’s hands too dirty.” As I wonder how else the impulses behind Forced Entertainment’s work have changed over time, it occurs to me that over the last ten years of new creations, with the exception of If All Else Fails, the company’s performers haven’t ever spoken on stage: there were two shows without any language at all, Out of Order and Under Bright Light, and then this trilogy of lip-sync works. Etchells agrees it’s a shift away from earlier productions, that were so often about “the actual voices of the performers and their actual presences. We had a lot of money, in some ways, on an authentic approach to what it might mean to speak on the stage.” But this sense of authentic presence itself had a fakeness to it; these days, Etchells can’t stand that mode of being onstage where performers “are here to be cheeky and witty versions of themselves. I don’t want to be charmed.” Pulling back into a more anonymous space has resulted in works that feel slightly sharper-edged, more brutal in a way. “All of these shows are post-Brexit, post-Trump, post-truth, post-everything,” Etchells notes. Speech, charisma, authenticity – these things feel politically loaded, and perhaps warmth and openness just don’t feel like the right tools to reflect the world we’re living in. “It feels like the space is closing down, and we’re trying to deal with the fact that the system, the structure that you’re in, is more oppressive and more powerful. It probably always was, but I think we’re just more tuned to it now.” Yet even without their voices, the performers’ distinctive presences – ones that many audiences have followed around for years, if not decades – still, inevitably, shine through as they physically navigate whatever unending task the system of the piece has set for them. They’re still trying to keep up with the onslaught of text, still running about, changing costumes, moving stuff around. The human is always stuck in the teeth of the machine, jamming the smooth, frictionless cheeriness of the not-real, gesticulating silently, trying desperately to communicate. Cold Sweat is at Sheffield Theatres, 2 to 3 October; Southbank Centre, London, 9 to 10 October; Lancaster Arts, 14 October [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) [ Exeunt recommends... the best autumn theatre ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) Exeunt · Sep 16 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) This piece was paid for by the Southbank Centre. Such support helps Exeunt to keep publishing the most interesting writing, about the most exciting theatre. Interested in partnering with Exeunt? Visit our Advertise with Exeunt page, where you can get more information, download an advertising pack, and find our contact details.
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