Some things are just too good to be true, like an abandoned house to live in when you can no longer afford your current apartment, or the water and power magically turning on in said house soon after you’ve moved in…a bit suspicious, isn’t it? Oliver desperately tries to push those suspicions away in Will King’s Dead Broke, directed by Calvin Peterson. This haunting tale of a group of friends down on their luck is full of frights and certainly not for the faint of heart.
Photo by Calvin Petersen
Oliver wants to change majors; he’s in engineering right now but wants to seriously pursue a career in music. His girlfriend Charlotte is supportive of his decision, but nervous about what he’s going to do if his father goes through with his threat and stops supporting Oliver. Oliver’s best friend Johnny, and his girlfriend(?) Irina live in a house off campus, and Johnny is involved in some…less than legal activities. Oliver decides to check out the abandoned house next to Johnny’s and see if there’s any chance he can make a go of things there. It’s not until Oliver is hosting a birthday party of Johnny in his new abode that things start to get spooky.
Photo by Will King
Dead Broke’s set designer Julia Kim makes great use of The Theatre Centre’s BMO Incubator space for this play. The flooring that they put down for this show has a sort of paint-splattered and unfinished look, which certainly helps set the scene. I had never noticed the tracks in the ceiling before, but they used four of them to hang large sheets from, which could then be moved back and forth on these tracks, allowing for the audience understand when the setting changed. The bean-bag chairs and milk crates evoke a perfect sense of broke college life; the tone of the design works so perfectly with the script, and being able to use the Incubator to its full extent elevates the production.
Photo by Calvin Petersen
Bringing back some of the core cast from the 2022 Fringe production, along with some fabulous new additions, the cast of Dead Broke does an impressive job of bringing this chilling tale to life. Playwright Will King stars as Oliver and he brings a charm and sincerity to this central character. Kiera Publicover plays Charlotte, Oliver’s girlfriend; her sweetness and earnestness really shine through in this role. I have to give props to Gordon Harper who is performing his role of Johnny while also wearing a medical boot! The show must go on and Harper certainly puts on a good show as Johnny. Claire Shenstone-Harris’ Irina is fantastic; it was actually moments of her performance which were consistently jogging my memory as she is still a highlight of this show. Her physicality and energy are perfect in every moment. Diana Del Rosario plays Laura, who is instantly my favourite character in the play. She’s the sassy roommate who is essentially the only sane person in the room, and Del Rosario plays Laura like it was written just for her. This cast has amazing chemistry and they play so well off of one another, it makes the show the engrossing and thrilling experience it is.
Photo by Chin Palipane
Dead Broke has plenty of jump scares and harrowing happenings to keep spooky season going a little while longer. It’s wonderful to get to revisit a show in a more full form; they definitely fleshed out some parts while still leaving you with a chill running down your spine and unsure of what would happen next.
Dead Broke is running in the BMO Incubator at The Theatre Centre until November 10. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.lostdreamscollective.ca
Cover Photo: The cast of Dead Broke. Photo by Calvin Petersen
Thank you to my Patrons:
N. Bushnik, B. Kinnon, D. Moyes
And to my supporters who’ve bought me a coffee:
Angelica and Paul, Anonymous, Adrianna, and Caitlin
Would you like to become a Patron? Check out my Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox
Or, you can buy me a coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/aviewfromthebox
A View from the Box 