Mistaken identities, fumbling police, intriguing tricksters and a touch of camp rumble together in the barrel of laughs that is Green Oak Theatre’s original production Heist! at Belconnen Theatre, on 6-9 July.

Reading through a high school English book, writer, producer and co-director, Shaylie Maskell found a six-page script following a number of criminal gangs scheming to steal a platypus statue. Inspired by the story, the writer thought she could build on it and bring a bizarre and captivating story to life on stage.

“You don’t normally see a big heist thing on stage, you see murder mysteries but not those big kind of Ocean’s 11 type things. I wanted to put that on stage because you don’t see that in the format as much,” Ms Maskell says.

In Heist! there is no platypus statue, but there are a few crocodiles to be seen as the three Capella Brothers accidentally kidnap a billionaire. The renowned criminals must work with other shady characters to solve their problem and make a profit. The show is friendly to all ages with Ms Maskell saying if your child can watch Shrek then Heist! will be no problem.

“If your child is old enough to be able to sit still for two hours, then they can come and see the show. It’s very family-friendly, all the jokes go over the children’s heads that their parents might not want them to understand,” she smiles.

A drama teacher and active theatre member, Ms Maskell was motivated by a love of the craft, rather than by fame and fortune, when she founded Green Oak Theatre in 2019. Seeking a way to bring original productions to the stage, she believes this is what sets them apart from other local amateur theatre companies.

The inspiration for founding the theatre company was to share the musical she wrote based on The Thornthwaite Inheritance by Gareth P. Jones, a novel she loved as a child. Ms Maskell happened to meet Mr Jones in London when she was still working on the musical; he gave his blessing, and they were able to livestream the finished production to him.

“He loved it, no one had ever made a musical of any of his books before, so he was really just keen to support the creative process and let us share it share the story in a different way,” she says.

The play ran in 2020, which Ms Maskell says was not a great year for theatre. Her next original play If I Could Save Her hit the stage in 2021, another hard year for live performances. They rolled with the punches and got through the lockdowns and disruptions to rehearsals and their season. Ms Maskell and the team are excited to bring a fun show to the stage as the sector is ramping back up and hope the community will support them.  

“We’re offering something original, something that is made in Canberra by Canberrans for Canberrans. We’re offering you a chance to see something that no one else gets to see, this could be the only time that has ever performed,” she says.

The production team and cast members volunteer to be part of Green Oak Theatre, completely funded by ticket sales and fundraising efforts, like Bunning sausage sizzles and hosting cabaret nights at Belconnen Theatre. The fun nights invite anyone who wants to have their time in the spotlight up to the stage to share a loved or original song. The next cabaret evening is pencilled in for October, with proceeds going towards next year’s production.

“We’re getting something that’s going to give more opportunities for playwrights in Canberra to have an opportunity to shine because so far, it’s just been me writing stuff. We’ve got to give some other people opportunities,” smiles Ms Maskell.

The company hires outside help for lighting, writing the music and filming. For their props, they try and reuse when they can or hunt at op-shops and closets, and put callouts to those involved in the play.

“We’ve got a lot of fake phones that need to be used in this show; we said, ‘Anyone got old phones that they don’t love anymore that they are happy to give to the show?’ We got about 12 different old phones,” Ms Maskell says.

“We are conscious of the environment and being in a lot of shows that have a lot of big sets, I always go, ‘where is this going to go? It’s just going to go to landfill.”

The inclusive Green Oak Theatre is open to all ages, depending on the production. Ms Maskell says some companies like to focus on youth or adults, but they want anyone with a love of theatre to be able to participate.

Wellbeing and community are at the forefront of the Green Oak Theatre philosophy. Ms Maskell says the cast isn’t just someone playing a role, they are part of the family, part of the team. To ensure everyone is looked after, a cast member volunteers to take on a role similar to a union representative and be the voice of the cast. Joining production meetings, they share if there are any problems, which are common across all shows and companies, says Ms Maskell. If the production team isn’t told, something small can spiral into a big issue.

“We want to make sure that any little niggles we’re able to look after and deal with so that everyone feels like they’re a valued part of the machine and then not having to find themselves in situations that are awkward.”

Green Oak Theatre presents the original play Heist! at Belconnen Theatre, 6-9 July; greenoaktheatre.org

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