This fall, Rural Root Theatre takes audiences back to small-town Ontario with Unbalanced, an original play inspired by the true story of a 1951 bank robbery. Blending drama, mystery and humour, Unbalanced is a story about money, secrets, jealousy, and what happens when an ordinary day suddenly becomes anything but ordinary.
The story begins at the Bradford branch of the Bank of Commerce, about an hour north of Toronto. The bank manager, secretary, and tellers are going about their usual day when the widow of a recently deceased client arrives, looking for answers about missing money. Before long, cracks begin to appear beneath the bank’s respectable surface, revealing questionable financial dealings, illicit affairs, ambition and jealousy.
Then three armed members of the infamous Boyd Gang storm the bank.
In a matter of minutes, rash decisions are made that will change the lives of everyone involved. Then, twenty years later, several of the key players return to the scene on the anniversary of the robbery, where old emotions resurface and long-buried accusations begin to fly.
Written by long-time Rural Root member Peter Veale, with significant contributions from his wife Terri-Lynn (a former bank teller who has been through a few robberies herself) and daughter Holly (a freelance editor), Unbalanced has a personal connection to the real events that inspired it. Peter’s grandfather was the manager of the Bradford branch the day of the Boyd Gang robbery way back in 1951, and his parents were teenagers working at the grocery store across the street as bullets flew.
Peter and Holly are also directing the production, which has given Peter the opportunity to bring the world he envisioned to life on the Rural Root stage. This is Peter’s second play produced by Rural Root Theatre. His first, Frankensteve, was Rural Root’s entry in the Eastern Ontario Drama League Festival in 2019 and won several awards.
Featuring one of Rural Root’s largest casts in recent years, Unbalanced brings together approximately 15 to 20 performers, with a mix of familiar faces and newcomers to the Rural Root stage.
Performances run October 20 to 25 at the Constance and Buckham’s Bay Community Centre. A dinner option is also available on Thursday and Friday evenings, prepared by the team from Les Fougères restaurant in Chelsea, Quebec.
Tickets are available now at Tickets-Please.ca, and early booking is encouraged as performances are expected to fill quickly.
Inspired by a remarkable true story and filled with secrets, suspicion and unexpected twists, Unbalanced offers audiences much more than a bank robbery. It’s a story about the people caught in the middle, the choices they make under pressure, and the consequences that can follow them for decades.