This stylish show at Buddies in Bad Times is a fascinating, if confusing, look at our work-obsessed life

The playwright/director Jill Connell uses this bit of trivia to kickstart her ambitious new performance piece, “The Herald.” Why, she muses, would a successful celebrity in his mid-50s drop things to study fashion? And why focus on capes?

This leads her to a fascinating but rather inscrutable examination of the role of labour in today’s over-worked, burned-out society, where most of us have no idea how what we do to earn money connects with the actual functioning of the physical world.

Our guide, if you can call him that, is the titular Herald, played by William Ellis (co-founder, with Jordan Tannahill, of the now defunct performance space Videofag).

“Herald,” meaning messenger or bearer of news, is an antiquated word, familiar from Christmas carols and the names of old-school newspapers. But it’s worth keeping in mind as we consider how we got to this particular political and economic moment — which is obviously one of Connell’s aims.

Clad in peach-coloured full-body suit (and cape, naturally) with white boots, all designed by ORXSTRA, Ellis’ Herald bears witness as Herakles (or Hercules, as he’s better known) comes to visit him periodically while completing his famous twelve labours.

This elaborate sequence, which arrives about a third of the way through the 85-minute show, is impeccably directed by Connell. Before our eyes, the ensemble (Ellis, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, Jackie Rowland, Rose Tuong and Fan Wu) constructs a tent from scratch, attaching gauzy curtains to a metal square of rods that then rises into the rafters. The effort of their labour is clearly visible to the audience, who are arranged along three sides of the playing area.

The efforts of our Greek hero, played alternately by Rowland, Tuong and Jackman-Torkoff, are less clear.

What, ultimately, did his dozen labours accomplish? What purpose did slaying or capturing lions, hydras and boars (oh my!) serve?

Even before he’s finished his tasks, Herakles thinks about helping out Jason in his quest for the golden fleece. This leads to an extended video in which we meet Jason (Ishan Davé) who’s looking around for Argonauts to join his crew on their quest.

Connell seems to want to contrast these heroic acts, which have endured in stories and legends for centuries, with the current employment grind we’re all facing today. Throughout the show, she has the ensemble freeze like statues and tell us that they’re in a modern-day Shoppers Drug Mart.

Considering the fact that it’s the most relatable scenario in the entire show, this Shoppers bit feels like the least developed section. It’s unclear whether Connell is critiquing the ubiquity of the store or the fact that its owner, Loblaw, has a near-monopoly hold on consumers.

Despite the vagueness of this contemporary setting, as well as a bunch of references to philosophers, “The Herald” is quite watchable and entertaining. Part of that has to do with Ishan Davé’s scenography and the effectiveness of the design, which includes Philip Nozuka’s hypnotic music and sound and Sebastian Marziali’s carefully calibrated lighting design.

The performers, too, bring total commitment to the show, produced by the indie company It Could Still Happen, in partnership with Buddies in Bad Times.

Ellis, who possesses the coolness and nonchalance of an underground figure from Andy Warhol’s Factory days, is a standout, as is Jackman-Torkoff, who brings a sense of urgency to whatever they’re doing, whether it’s strutting on a make believe fashion runway or lounging about after an imaginary battle.

The full significance of Connell’s work might feel a little vague, but one thing’s clear. Just as Antonio Banderas thought, everyone looks great in a cape.