Funny Money

I returned to Kingsley Community Centre this week to watch Kingsley Players’ latest production of Ray Cooney’s Funny Money. This farce, set in 1990’s London follows the story of protagonist Henry, who accidently picks up the wrong briefcase on the tube, and thus chaos ensues. With a body being pulled from the river Thames and the police turning up at Henry’s door, this production had all the right elements of a farce/black comedy. Directed by Simon Hetherington, the set and staging was in-keeping with the farce structure, with many doors and a fast pace. I went to watch on opening night and it’s fair to say that there were a few opening night jitters with missed lines, needing a prompt and calling characters by the wrong name. However, this sounds much worse than what it was. The play is very wordy, and the pace was brilliant throughout, so I can forgive the odd opening night fluffs. The pace and plot was easy to follow, which is no mean feat as the six characters all had different names throughout. I question the non-use of a London accent, especially from the police characters, amongst others. A huge well done to Simon and the cast for your obvious hard work in making this plot easy to follow and for your pace throughout. It was clear that some hard work was done on characterisation too. Whilst I wasn’t a fan of some of the character choices, particularly from some of the female roles, I appreciated some of the nuances that most actors brought to the stage. I have no doubt that if I had come on closing night, rather than opening night, it would’ve been a fantastic production - however, audience members who pay for opening night should always have the same performance as those paying for closing night. Nevertheless, the audience certainly enjoyed it and laughed consistently all the way through – a true testament to the comedic elements and storytelling from this cast!

The set was brilliantly bespoke(ly) made for this venue and was used well throughout. The doors were used well as were the props etc. A huge well done to the set and properties team for your very hard work! One of the best sets that I’ve seen for this production!

The costumes were suitable for each character and each character trait. They helped layer and give an audience an inclination of the characterisation. The lighting was basic, but it didn’t need to be anything more. A general wash was all that was needed, and lighting cues were well done. The special effect cues for the gun shots at the end were a little delayed, which slightly negatively impacted on the naturalism, but I doubt some of the audience even noticed this.

Val Ball played the role of hapless Mrs Jean Perkins. Mrs Perkins had to react to everything that was going on throughout and had a range of reactions to display, and Val did very well with these. Despite overacting at times and crying (without actually crying – my pet hate), I really enjoyed the energy and commitment that Val brought. I also loved the way in which Mrs Perkins got slowly sloshed as the play went on and Val did well physically and vocally to convey this.

Mike Kelsall played the role of the protagonist Mr Henry Perkins. Mike was very well cast in this role and got the audience on his side from the start – no mean feat. At all times we were rooting for Mr Perkins, hoping that he would worm his way out of the many situations he got himself in. Mike was brilliant in this role and worked tirelessly throughout which didn’t go unnoticed. A brilliant and commanding performance.

Phil Murray played the role of the corrupt Police Officer, Davenport. Whilst I personally would’ve loved a homosexual undertone to this character, I enjoyed Phil’s performance. His line delivery and comic timing was great, as was his physicality too. Phil was understated throughout which really worked as it was a good contrast to some of the other heightened characters.

Malcolm Barker played the role of taxi driver Bill (not Ben). Malcom added to the comedic elements throughout and was again, understated in doing so. I liked the styling of his character, and he did well, despite the odd line fluff etc. He also helped out a lot when others fluffed lines or missed important plot points, which shows that he is a good actor who listens and reacts positively.

The ‘straight’ police officer Slater was played by Lynn Pegler. I wasn’t a massive fan of the styling of this character or the way in which the character was portrayed. For me, it was too heightened which made it less believable. I also felt that Slater was far too familiar with the other characters, despite being a stranger and needed to be downplayed a lot more. I cannot fault Lynn’s commitment to the role. Her projection was excellent also.

Mrs Perkin’s best friend Betty was played by Jo Oultram. I really enjoyed Jo’s interpretation of this character and Jo was believable throughout – one of the best things that I’ve seen from Jo. Jo’s diction and projection was great, and she positively contributed to the overall comedic elements.

One of the standout performances for me was that of Neil Silcock as the oppressed Vic Johnson. Neil’s acting was superb, and his line delivery was stunning! I loved this character, and it was all down to Neil’s excellent acting ability. A brilliant performance!

Despite the opening night nerves, this was a very entertaining production. When I think back to watching it, I smile – that say’s a lot! In the programme, Director Simon Hetherington talks about the audience feeling Henry’s frustration, Jean’s belligerence, Vic’s confusion and Betty’s excitement – and that is abundantly true! We did feel all those things, and more! Kingsley Players are used to farce, having produced Alan Ayckbourn’s How The Other Half Loves recently too; and they do it well.  I thank them for their hospitality and wish them all the very best for the rest of their 2022 season.

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