Undercover
January 2018
Undercover
Undercover. By Rebecca Northan. Jan. 2018. The Playhouse, Vertigo Theatre. Calgary.
There’s something sinister going on at an exclusive art auction. A crime of passion, lust and betrayal has been committed, and the only person who can solve this dastardly crime is a detective that was plucked out of the audience right before the show began. Rebecca Northan’s specialty is plays that involve audience members. They all have loosely constructed storylines that are designed to be stumbled across as she deftly guides her clueless companion through the play. Her plays are always a delightful experience, specifically because no one knows what’s going to happen. Undercover ended up being as funny as it was frustrating.
As an audience member it was so hilariously frustrating to watch the rookie detective stumble around the set looking for clues. He does deserve our sympathy though, I am sure it’s much harder to actually be up there, where you don’t see the big picture. If I was frustrated by this, I can’t imagine how infuriating it must have been for the actors. Every cast member had to be interrogated for clues that help uncover the mystery. The actors knew they had to talk to the rookie detective, but they had to find a natural way to do so. This challenge really allowed the actors to shine. They represented their characters well and yet were able to respond to the rookie detective’s pitiful attempts to interrogate them. One actor even gave up her clue after being offered a gentle massage, which became an inside joke for the rest of the performance.
Undercover is a great example of what live theatre can offer that movies cannot - the fact that it is present. In order for this play to be successful it had to be in the moment. The actors could not possibly anticipate the actions of the rookie detective and had to be able to craft the plot around his actions. It was this adaptability by the cast that really made this risky show a huge success. Even if our particular rookie detective was not able to solve the devious crime, and may have ended up getting shot.