How to Steal a Diamond

A heist is no easy feat to pull off, either in reality or on the stage, but Glasgow's Vox Motus have definitely carried something off here.

Based on the idea that everyone wants to get rich quick, we have three parallel stories inspired by the universal appeal of the diamond heist; a Glasgow la-de-dah lady, some call centre workers and a couple of South African miners, all looking to make a buck by stealing a gem.

Originally three individual works-in-progress, the three plotlines weave well together, with the characters on stage all the time, smoothly making a crossover from one scene to the next. Using a simple set-up of three large square shapes, the stagecraft and scene changes are ingenious at times, although there are a few unnecessary flourishes.

The use of digital images is also of central importance, making How to Steal a Diamond an interesting piece of theatre that looks to the future in its engagement with the world of digital multimedia. Though the effects aren't out of this world, they are certainly innovative.

The play doesn't attempt to make any big social statements by featuring South African characters; instead the universality implied by the parallel stories seems based on the premise that every person, whether from Africa or Scotland, is prepared to steal if the odds of getting caught are low. Whether true or otherwise, the plight of the African workers still felt slightly contrived as a result of weak scripting and acting in places.

At 80 minutes, the play is just the right length; short, sharp and slick. While neither a profound nor life-changing piece of theatre, How to Steal a Diamond is an amusing take on the heist genre, with echoes of Guy Ritchie's films emphasised with the background sounds of drum 'n' bass. Particularly in their use of set and digital media, I predict interesting future projects from Vox Motus.