Heidi Damayo tells all with Vertigo Theatre’s production of Peril in the Alps
By Hannah Caparino, January 28 2025—
Re-enter the world of Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot in Vertigo Theatre’s holiday show, Peril in the Alps. A missing person’s case brings Poirot and his old partner Arthur Hastings together again to solve the disappearance of a woman with an elusive reputation. Betty Mitchell Award nominated actor, Heidi Damayo, spoke with the Gauntlet about returning to her Calgarian roots and working with Vertigo Theatre.
Originally getting her start in Vancouver working at the Arts Club and Bard on the Beach, Damayo came back to Calgary and had the opportunity to work with a wide range of artists. Well ranged in her own right, she made her mark in Calgary after her Theatre Calgary debut back in 2022.
“I came home to do Little Women in 2022 and since then I’ve just found that Calgary has been such a welcoming place for theatre and such a vibrant scene that this is where my career has felt like it’s been blossoming.” said Damayo.
With Vertigo Theatre’s production of Peril in the Alps, Damayo has had the rare chance to reprise her role as the Duveen twins, Bella and Dulcie Duveen. Initially introduced in Murder on the Links, the Duveen twins were set to become important figures in Hercule Poirot and Arthur Hastings’ story by using their imitation and acrobatic skills to help them solve a few crimes.
“It’s also been so much fun to do this role as a reprisal, because there was all of that character work that I got to do from Murder on the Links, and then now we’re kind of in a different world. It’s being directed in a different style, it’s a different team. So it’s about transmuting that character work that I did the first time around.” said Damayo.
Damayo comments on the audiences attending Vertigo Theatre shows, often showing another level of engagement and attachment to the shows.
“They’re such an invested people, and so the shows that we get to do here; it’s so much fun because you can always feel the energy from the audience. You can feel [them] trying to work out what the twist is going to be and what the mystery will be, and it’s really gratifying as a performer to share a story like that with people who are so present.” said Damayo.
With Peril in the Alps, Vertigo Theatre introduced new cast and crew members, including seasoned Calgary director, Clare Preuss. The play carries a certain playfulness with the double characterization of the twins alongside the back-and-forth dynamic between Poirot and Hastings. Damayo explains the process of bringing the show to life with Preuss directly impacts how audiences can respond to the show.
“She’s so prepared, she came in and had the entire show blocked.” said Damayo, “From the beginning, she’s had a really clear vision of how she wants this show to end up.”
Preuss’s direction allowed the actors to enter Christie’s world, but playwright Steven Dietz’s writing continued the arcs, expanded upon them and reframes how the show fits this holiday season. Damayo explained that the show is set against the snowy backdrop of the Swiss Alps and that the script evokes the similar homely feeling. While this upcoming show may be the spiritual successor to previous Christie adaptations, Damayo explains that audiences can experience Poirot’s mystery without any background knowledge as Dietz’s writing introduces all the characters in a manner that eases audiences into Poirot’s mindscape.
“I hope that people who, whether they are die-hard Hercule Poirot fans and can’t get enough of him, or whether they don’t know that much about him; I think there’s something in it for everyone. I hope they have a great time!” said Damayo.
Details about Vertigo Theatre’s 2025-2026 season can be found on their website. Ticket information for Peril in the Alps can be found here.