Heist will get its world premiere at Vertigo Theatre

Article content material

Heist is a openly intelligent and convoluted whodunit.

When Arun Lakra, the Calgary doctor turned author, started work on Heist three years in the past, he set himself the problem of making a thriller like Ocean’s 11 for the stage. He needed to see if the movie conventions of those twisty whodunits may translate to the theare. With the assistance of a few of Calgary’s best artists, he’s come remarkably near engaging in this seemingly not possible mission.

Article content material

Article content material

There are literally two heists in Heist, which is operating at Vertigo Theatre till Feb. 25. Each are orchestrated by Marvin (Griffin Cork), a streetwise petty thief with a thick Irish accent. Marvin isn’t any George Clooney. He’s far too tough across the edges. Assume Ben Affleck, Robert Downey Jr., or, if you wish to go throughout the pond, Benedict Cumberbatch. Cork finally ends up doing a lot of the heavy lifting within the play, and he’s bought the broad shoulders, cocky confidence, and good outdated boy attraction to hold it off.

Marvin first units out to steal a ruby that’s displayed in a particular case atop a pedestal and guarded by laser alarms, a hottest heist goal. Lakra’s first intelligent gimmick is to have the heist interrupted 4 occasions so Marvin can introduce his staff members, recalling how and why he recruited every one.

There’s Ryan (Praneet Akilla), a rich fairly boy who is aware of the way to manipulate individuals. Assume Ryan Gosling versus Ryan Reynolds, who’d steal an excessive amount of focus from Marvin. Akilla is aware of precisely what his character is all about, and performs the second fiddle successfully.

Marvin wants somebody lithe and athletic to do all of the slithery bodily work which is the place Angie (Charlie Gould) is available in. Gould will get to do a Catherine Zeta-Jones routine from the film Entrapment as she weaves out and in of laser beams to succeed in the case holding the ruby. She additionally will get to be a love curiosity for Ryan. Kudos to Lakra for not making Marvin a rival for her affections.

Article content material

Article content material

Each gang wants its muscle, and that’s the place Kruger (Alexander Ariate) is available in. He’s what Marvin calls his safety element, which suggests if something goes flawed Kruger has a gun to place it proper. Kruger can also be the potential free cannon, which suggests Ariate will get to do his fair proportion of snarling, growling, bullying and threatening.

Lastly, there’s Fiona (Anna Dalgleish), the tech wizard or geek whose laptop computer looks as if an extension of her arm. It’s good to see this character be feminine as a result of it’s historically a younger male. Now if solely Lakra may have given Fiona some character traits in addition to a pc to work with.

It will be a significant spoiler to say any extra in regards to the first heist. The second time Marvin will get his gang collectively is to steal a diamond from a mysterious crime lord named The Spider (Elinor Holt), a menacing girl with a thick European accent and a well-stocked wine cellar. Holt is the present’s particular visitor star so consider it as Helen Mirren tenting it up royally.

The Spider’s status precedes her. The final time thieves tried to rob her, she showered them with hungry, venomous tarantulas. Lakra retains interrupting this heist to recall how Marvin satisfied his staff members to reassemble, and the way he saved filling them, and the viewers, in on the small print of the brand new heist. That is the place the foremost twists begin unfolding, and there are some doozies.

Article content material

Scott Reid’s ingenious set and projection designs remind us that Heist remains to be very a lot a screenplay, however, given Reid’s skills, all of the totally different places seem and disappear easily.

Lakra’s script is, of necessity, wordy as a result of he has to supply a lot exposition as he lays out the plans for the heists and divulges the motivations of his characters. Director Haysam Kadri has executed wonderful in including selection to the dialogue sequences. He units a dialog between Marvin and Angie at a climbing wall to remind us of her coaching, has Kruger and Ryan at a boxing gymnasium, and has Marvin meet Kruger at a rifle vary.

Heist is certainly a manufacturing the place the top justifies the means. It’s a little bit of an extended, windy, verbose highway getting there, however the ultimate reveal deservedly acquired the gasps, cheers and wild applause this play deserves.

Article content material