High-octane crime caper makes Ontario premiere at London’s Grand Theatre
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.
The Grand Theatre in London, Ontario is diving into the world of diamonds, deals, and deceit with Arun Lakra’s Heist — an Ocean’s Eleven-inspired crime caper playing from January 14 to February 1 on the Grand’s Spriet Stage.
In Heist, five skilled thieves come together for one final job. But, naturally, not everything goes to plan, and their heist ends up riddled with twists, turns, and unexpected betrayals.
Director Haysam Kadri, who’s returning to the script after directing its 2024 world premiere at Calgary’s Vertigo Theatre, is planning to bring drones, acrobatics, and a laser sequence to the stage. “It’s always a gift to be able to mount a second production,” said Kadri in a press release. “On the technical side, having access to bigger resources and tools means we can elevate the production value significantly. The set design [by Beyata Hackborn], for instance, is more ambitious, incorporating moving pieces and intricate lighting effects that amplify the suspense and spectacle of the story.”
Grand artistic director Rachel Peake shares Kadri’s excitement about this second staging, which is a co-production with Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre. “We at the Grand are deeply committed to second-run Canadian plays,” she said. “[It] means that once the dust has settled on a world premiere, the playwright can go back into their script… and imagine the show for a second time.”
In addition to Kadri and Hackborn, the creative team for the Grand production includes Jessica Oostergo (costume designer), Siobhán Sleath (lighting designer), Richard Feren (composer and sound designer), and Corwin Ferguson (projection designer).
Five actors in Heist — Devin MacKinnon, Callan McKenna Potter, Gillian Moon, Priya Narine, and Emilio Vieira — will make their Grand debuts in the show. Belinda Cornish, who rounds out the six-person cast, was last seen at the Grand in its 2018 production of An Undiscovered Shakespeare.
“I wanted to create a sort of hybrid show, which grabbed elements from both film and theatre,” said Lakra. “Through my collaboration with [Kadri], who shared this vision, we have tried to create a cinematic experience on stage.”
Heist runs at the Grand Theatre from January 14 to February 1. Tickets are available here.
Liam Donovan
Liam is Intermission’s senior editor. His writing has appeared in publications like Maisonneuve, This, and NEXT. He loves the original Super Mario game very much.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: Photo by Andree Lanthier.
GCTC to close out season with Rachel Mutombo’s Vierge
Co-produced by Montreal’s Black Theatre Workshop and directed by Dian Marie Bridge, Vierge will run from March 18 to 30 at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre in Ottawa.
iPhoto caption: Photo courtesy of Grand Theatre.
London’s Grand Theatre unveils 2025-26 season, including three musicals
The Grand Theatre has announced its six-show subscription season, which features three musicals, a pair of comedies, and the winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Meet the participants of What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab
Theatre Aquarius’ National Centre for New Musicals, the Grand Theatre, and Intermission Magazine are excited to announce the cohort of What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Pia Johnson.
Circus version of Swan Lake touches down at Meridian Arts Centre
This week, TO Live will present Circa’s Duck Pond, a circus reimagining of Swan Lake.
Announcing the winners of the 2024 Nathan Cohen Awards
The Canadian Theatre Critics Association has announced the winners of the 2024 Nathan Cohen Awards for Excellence in Critical Writing, including two writers from Intermission.
Call for applications: Publishing and editorial assistant
Intermission Magazine is seeking a dynamic and collaborative individual to join our team.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Andree Lanthier.
GCTC to close out season with Rachel Mutombo’s Vierge
Co-produced by Montreal’s Black Theatre Workshop and directed by Dian Marie Bridge, Vierge will run from March 18 to 30 at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre in Ottawa.
iPhoto caption: Photo of Tara Sky by Jeremy Mimnagh. Set design by Shannon Lea Doyle, costume design by Asa Benally, lighting design by Hailey Verbonac.
REVIEW: The Born-Again Crow is an ardent ode to unproductivity
Director Jessica Carmichael’s Toronto premiere production trucks along with the passionate force of an early-2000s emo rock hit, imbuing this systemic critique with rousing, playful life.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Against a bloody backdrop, Trident Moon pays homage to the power of resilience
Playing at Crow’s Theatre and set during the 1947 partition of India, the intense fictionalized drama offers a graceful depiction of several women’s high-stakes struggle to resist.
iPhoto caption: Photo courtesy of Grand Theatre.
London’s Grand Theatre unveils 2025-26 season, including three musicals
The Grand Theatre has announced its six-show subscription season, which features three musicals, a pair of comedies, and the winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
iPhoto caption: Photo of Peter Fernandes by Lorne Bridgman; photos of Qasim Khan and the Berkeley Street Theatre by Dahlia Katz.
Khan starred in Canadian Stage’s recent High Park Hamlet. Now, Fernandes is leading Fat Ham, a contemporary adaptation set at a cookout.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Q&A: Casey and Diana director Andrew Kushnir on bringing the acclaimed drama to Theatre Aquarius
“There’s lots to grieve right now in the world,” says Kushnir. “But there are so few communal places to be with that grief. And I do think grieving in public normalizes a universal human condition: that we’ve all loved and lost something (time, a dream, a way of life) — or, more commonly, a dear someone.”
Comments