Writer: Ray Cooney OBE
Producer: Cambridge Repertory Society
Gaslight Theatre, Cambridge
27 July – 10 August 2024
First premiering in London in 1994, Funny Money is a farce by acclaimed writer Ray Cooney. In 2006, the work was made into a movie starring Chevy Chase. And now the team at Gaslight Theatre have debuted Funny Money in all its hilarious glory.
In a nutshell, Henry Perkins (Marty Seifert) accidentally picks up the wrong briefcase on his trip home from the office. Inside he finds £735,000 in used £50 notes. His immediate thought is to whisk his wife Jean (Sara Young) off to Barcelona before the real owner of the briefcase catches up with him. Unfortunately, family friends Vic (Kerrin Carr) and Betty (Caroline White) are on their way over for a birthday dinner. A taxi driver named Bill (Matt Silvester), two policemen (David Moore and Alex Norris) and a baddie named Mr Big (Mark Stoddart or Steve McMurray) round out the cast.
What ensues is a tapestry of mistaken identities and a web of lies all strung together by a script that gets more frenetic as the play progresses. Solicitation, a dead body, a tee-totaller falling completely off the wagon, hard drugs, wife-swapping, and extended family from Australia all feature in this laugh-a-minute escapade in which everyone ends up confused.
Seifert absolutely delivered in his role as Henry. From the initially astonished husband returning home to becoming utterly flustered, Siefert’s decline into barely holding it together was marvelous. His progress from a smartly dressed affable worker to a dishevelled madman with hair on end and shirt untucked was subtle and clever.
Carr’s performance as the slightly gormless best mate Vic was priceless. He nailed the dazed and confused character, and drove the laughs with his innuendo and physical comedy.
Director Steve McMurray had his work cut out with a rather chaotic script. One can only imagine the challenge of breaking the down Funny Money into rehearsal-friendly chunks so as to not discombobulate an accomplished team. McMurray had the pace spot on, and his casting from across the region was flawless. The static set was well-dressed and the provided multiple entry points that made sense. Towards the end, some nifty crew work added to the hilarity.
The intimate Gaslight Theatre is lends itself to these types of productions, and it was a pleasure to see yet another polished product playing to a full house. If you’re in need of a good laugh (I’m talking tears rolling down your face, stomach aching, falling off your seat type of laughter), then spend some time at Gaslight. The Cambridge Repertory Society with McMurray at the helm have made Funny Money priceless.
Tickets are available from www.gaslight.nz and Paper Plus Cambridge.
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