• Location Engineered Air Theatre, Arts Commons  225 8th Ave. SE
• Price $25

Recognized internationally for work that is incisive and darkly funny, Calgarians David Rhymer and Kris Demeanor spin true crime into this new musical.

Presented by Downstage and Forte Musical Theatre with generous support of Hit & Myth Productions, Crime Does Not Pay has been five years in the making and features gorgeous songs and explosive ideas. Not typical musical fare, it’s based on the true story of comic book artist Bob Wood and his infamously disturbing graphic novel Crime Does Not Pay.

In it we meet Bob as he arrives in the big city with a sketchbook full of comics about how the little guy always gets pushed into the dirt, but there’s no money in bleeding hearts. So when Bob falls for Violet, a lounge singer with an abusive ex-husband, inspiration strikes and he gets his big break after sexing up his stories. Full of dark depictions of true crimes where the criminals are the heroes, his hot new title leads to the creation of the Comic Book Code.

A Calgary-born production, Crime Does Not Pay has had several workshops and already has a growing a fan base. Tickets are just $25, and 25% of every night’s seats are free through Downstage’s Pay it Forward Program. Special nights through the run include Comic Fan Night on March 2 and a Relaxed Performance on March 7, allowing people who find typical theatre experiences challenging to take in the show.

Crime Does Not Pay runs March 2 to 5 and 7 to 11, 2017 at the Engineered Air Theatre, Arts Commons (225 8th Ave. SE). Recommended for ages 16 and up, the show includes material that some people may find upsetting or triggering, including profanity, sexual innuendo, scenes of domestic violence, and references to suicide.