Solo full-mask show "The Heist"
Credits for all pictures: Saska A. Mutic
"MUST SEE SHOW"
Fringe Review
By Lee Delong
With Ralf Wetzel
Music: Max Charue
Masks by Ralf Wetzel
Song "Drowning" by Lee Delong
The Heist is a non-verbal solo-full-mask melodrama, full of boisterous play, poignant moments, physical comedy, and live music. With tender care and precision, it explores the struggle of the human kind when confronted with societal disruptions. The piece follows the mundane life of successful restaurant owner, Steve, who is thrown into the maelstrom of a global pandemic. He is pushed out of his former life and sinks into despair before discovering a new life with new rules. A humorous yet critical reflection on the human condition in hyper-capitalistic times.
The Heist is an uplifting story that follows the life of ‘Steve’, an unassuming man who cares for the world around him – from feeding the pigeons in the park to feeding his patrons as the owner and chef of a local Bistro. When the world is hit by a global pandemic, Steve tumbles into a spiral of decline, falling behind on his payments, unable to keep his business, and tempted by shady means of paying debt – a familiar story from the pandemic. A big businessman takes over Steve’s Bistro, which drives Steve to the brink of sanity. He is forced to leave his happy life, and he becomes desperate after repeated failure. He seeks to understand the reasons for his fate, and finding no answers, attempts to end it all. Yet having hit rock bottom, he has only one way to go…up! …which leads him to a surprising and sobering resolution.
Steve, a bistro chef, discovering disturbing news ...
... with a new owner taking over ...
The Heist is a critical yet comedic commentary on mankind’s solitude during massive global disruptions. It explores the effect of overpowering events on humanity, events that drastically alter lives. The experimental nature of the piece is evidenced in the deliberate choice of full masks, which heightens the subject. Employing four distinctly different full masks brought to life by a single actor, the piece ignites a deep reflection about the human condition. The underscoring by a single multi-instrumentalist enhances the play and creates space in an empty space through the creation of an elaborate soundscape. Marimbas, drums, melodica, and countless other instruments fill the stage with Steve’s world.
... forcing Steve to go unusual ways ...
... which do not go unnoticed ...
"I felt privileged to watch Delong’s vision materialised on stage. What makes this production unique is her collaboration with Wetzel, who made all four masks that you see on stage and who is the sole actor within this one man show. Her thirty seven years of experience is evident in every muscle of this physicalised story with lots of humour to fill your belly." Natasha Higdon, FringeReview