HEIST

by Arun Lakra

HEIST is a sizzling, twisty-mystery, popcorn-munching, edge-of-your-seat, heist-whodunnit, CLUE meets OCEANS 11 kind of show. A criminal mastermind reassembles his squad to heist a diamond from the lair of an international jewel thief, but what he’s really doing is setting an elaborate trap for whoever double-crossed them last time. 

HEIST was commissioned by Bloomington Playwrights Project (Indiana) with the...

HEIST is a sizzling, twisty-mystery, popcorn-munching, edge-of-your-seat, heist-whodunnit, CLUE meets OCEANS 11 kind of show. A criminal mastermind reassembles his squad to heist a diamond from the lair of an international jewel thief, but what he’s really doing is setting an elaborate trap for whoever double-crossed them last time. 

HEIST was commissioned by Bloomington Playwrights Project (Indiana) with the goal of taking a wildly successful film genre and creating a heist story for the stage. I am pleased to report HEIST had a successful workshop production in Indiana in May, 2022, and had its World Premiere at Vertigo Theatre (380 seats) in Calgary, Canada in January-February, 2024.

HEIST was presented in 2025 as a co-production between the Citadel Theatre (600 seats) in Edmonton, Alberta and the Grand Theatre (800 seats) in London, Ontario.

HEIST will have its US Premiere at Arizona Theatre Company in December, 2025.

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HEIST

Character Information

  • Marvin (The Boss)
    Leader of the group. Charming, in a Hugh Grant, Steven Merchant kind of way. Underneath a slightly bookish, insecure persona, a fierce and determined man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. We’re cheering for him. He looks up to Ryan and is smitten by Angie.
    40s
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Angie (The Mary-Lou)
    Tall, athletic, and savvy, Femme Fatale, a chameleon. Feisty, sometimes vulnerable, always in control. Will not take crap from anyone. A good heart, a modern day Robin Hood, but you don’t want to get on her bad side. She needs to look after herself. She uses her sexuality if she needs to.
    30
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Kruger - (The Popeye)
    Big, loud, in your face. Physically imposing. Blunt. Unpredictable. A straight shooter. A bulldozer, with a rarely-expressed softer side. Unpredictable. A wild card. Suspicious of everyone and not afraid to call people out. We don’t trust him. He’s loyal, but don’t screw him.
    50
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Ryan - (The Gilligan)
    Suave (not in a sleazy way), self-deprecating, easy-going. He’s got a little Ryan Reynolds in him. Equally charming to both men and women. Can sell you anything. Carries an aura of mystery about him. Loves the thrill of the ride. Even though Marvin is the Boss, in some ways, Marvin defers to him. There may be something sinister lurking under the charm. Or not.
    30-40
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Fiona - (The Geek)
    College student. Highly intelligent, brains of the operation. Task oriented. Lacking social awareness. No filter - may speak or snicker inappropriately sometimes. A bit of an outsider to the group.
    25
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Non-binary
  • The Spider - (The Target)
    Intimidating. Speaks and moves with intent and implicit threat. When she walks into a room, her presence is felt. She doesn’t need to raise her voice to create fear, but when she does, we tremble. There is no doubt that if you cross her, you will pay the price. She sees everything.
    60
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman

Development History

  • Commission, Bloomington Playwrights Project, 2022

Production History

  • Professional, Arizona Theatre Company, 2025
  • Professional, The Grand Theatre, London Ontario, 2025
  • Professional, Vertigo Theatre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 2024
  • Workshop, Bloomington Playwrights Project, 2022
  • Workshop, Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 2022