Review Tons of Money at the Theatre Royal
If
you’ve ever seen your debts mount up and dreaded the
postman and his daily delivery of brown bills, then you
might understand that desperate times call for desperate
measures. Unsuccessful inventor Aubrey Allington (Barry
Barker) is in such a situation, with a large and
expensive house in Marlow to run, staff to keep, wife
Louise (Sian Couture) to shower with gifts and a
slightly deaf aunt (Christian Jenner) to feed (and
tolerate). So when his creditors are at the door and he
inherits a large sum of money which reverts on his death
to his cousin George Maitland, he and his wife hatch a
plan to fake his death and for him to return three weeks
later as the long lost cousin from Mexico — but all does
not run smoothly.
This, the Irving Stage Company’s first production back
at the Theatre Royal and the last to be directed by the
late Ray Dyer, is a fast-paced and joyous romp back to
the 1920s with many laugh-out - loud moments. Barry
Barker and Sian Couture bounce off each other well as
the hapless couple, Jean Everard relishes her role as
the dim widow (who thinks any man with a beard is her
husband) and Philip Thompson is hilarious as the second
bogus George.
CAMILLE BERRIMAN (Bury Free Press) |
