Heist
07 August 2025
Barons Court Theatre
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Heist is a new play by Joe Wright, currently running at the Barons Court Theatre until the 9th August as part of the Camden Fringe. The show incorporates film and tv projections and sound bites seamlessly into the narrative spanning across two different timelines. In 2025, Sarah calls into a late night radio show to discuss her struggles with recent economic and social developments, while in the near future in Dublin, AI and drones have taken over, capitalism has eroded the economy, the environment is collapsing, and people have lost their purpose. There are no jobs, no culture, no future prospects, but two self-appointed heroes watch over their neighbourhood to keep people safe and stable, as much as they can. They decide to stage a heist to provide the poorest in the community with more resources, but the simple idea quickly escalates.
With minimal means, this show achieves a lot! A spray of postcards strewn across the stage, a set of balaclavas, and a projection screen is all this troupe needs to deliver a brilliantly creative and surprisingly profound piece of theatre. From the slightly absurd near future societal collapse that seems all too possible in the way it is described, to the helplessness of the today-timeline trying to grapple with the loss of culture and prospects for younger generations, there is so much casual commentary on our modern society without taking itself or its protagonists too seriously.
This side-splitting movie-esque caper is constructed expertly to keep the audience entertained while getting in a plethora of deeper meaning. Effortlessly the funniest show set in a dystopian future, Heist manages to blend the absurd with the philosophical. A fast paced, poetic cacophony of heroic ideas pondering the state of society, this Irish show manages to package big ideas in an even bigger dose of humour. A triumph of writing and a delight to watch!
