Funny Money
at Centreville High School

Reviewed on May 9, 2014

Kaitlyn Lunardi
Lake Braddock Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

Naughty sheep, some "hanky-panky," dirty cops, and £2,235,000. Never has there been a birthday celebrated with such finesse and exuberance - except in the case of boring, middle-aged, British accountant, Mr. Henry Perkins, of course! The hilarious tale of a man and his money came to life this weekend at Centreville High School in their production of Ray Cooney's "Funny Money!"

This British satire originally premiered at The Churchill Theatre in London in 1994 and was later adapted into a movie, starring Chevy Chase, in 2006. "Funny Money" tells the story of a briefcase, with almost £2.25 million in its contents, accidentally swapped by Henry Perkins in the London Under-ground on his way home from work. His wife, Jean Perkins, is setting up the mister's birthday dinner and preparing for their friends, Vic and Betty Johnson, when Henry bursts in and begins frantically urging their immediate emigration to Barcelona. The plot thickens as the suddenly wealthy couple becomes bombarded by the arrival of their friends, two police officers, and a rather brazen taxi driver. Confusion and panic ensues as the struggle to hide the money clashes with dead bodies, too many aliases, and plenty of paying-off.

The cast and crew of Centreville's "Funny Money" did an exquisite job of reeling in the mature, bizarre humor of their show and honing it to produce a witty, feel-good performance. With a cast of only eight actors, picking up on cues and acting ability are paramount, but the talented group did a wonderful job of upholding the performance and staying on track. With a massive, well-executed stationary set and brilliant props to back it all up, the show was ultimately a success!

The comedic timing, particularly on behalf of Connor Gillooly, who perfectly executed the frantic Henry Perkins, was superb and left the audience in stitches. Gillooly's commitment and energy in his role carried through the play and even skillfully covered up a few mishaps. Miranda Newman played Jean Perkins and did a notable job of developing her character from scene to scene, beginning as a stiff, sober, stereotypical housewife, but winding up as an absolute drunkard.

Jeremy Washington and Khalied Bashri also put on a phenomenal performance in their roles as Davenport and Slater, respectively. Each held to the typical strict-cop routine, but added their own exciting features to better bring their characters to life. Washington never faltered with his comical one-liners, as well as several innuendos and proved his character to be the epitome of a dirty cop. Bashri brilliantly retained his characters stoic nature such that his immense tantrum in Act II was far more startling and entertaining.

The set and props designers should also be commended for their high quality work in this production. The simple set-up of the house was creative and soundly built, beautifully furnished with books, plants, and booze galore! As a whole, the stage was remarkably aesthetically pleasing and only helped to bring the show to life.

Centreville High School performed an exemplary rendition of "Funny Money" this weekend. With power-house acting and skillful tech work, this play was a triumph. And my, oh my, £2,235,000 makes for a remarkable birthday, indeed.

Hannah Warnick
Chantilly High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

What would you do if you picked up the wrong briefcase and opened it to find 2,325,000 pounds? Would you return it? Or would you take it and make a mad-dash out of the country to live a new life of luxury? Henry Perkins chose the latter, making for a comical evening full of unexpected twists and turns in Centreville's production of Funny Money.
Funny Money is a British comedy written by Ray Cooney. It first opened at The Churchill Theatre in Bromley, London and made its way to the West End in 1994 for two years. Ray Cooney not only wrote the play, but played the starring role of Henry Perkins himself. In 2006, the show took the big screen in a movie starring Chevy Chase.

A middle-aged man, Henry Perkins, was coming home from work to enjoy a nice birthday dinner with his wife, Jean Perkins, and their long-time friends, Vic and Betty Johnson. He picks up his briefcase and gets off the train and while going to grab his gloves and scarf, he realizes that this is not his briefcase at all. Inside he finds 2,325,000 pounds. He races home after making a quick stop at the local pub, and tells his wife to pack their bags and books two plan tickets to Barcelona. The get-away isn't as simple as that, however, as several complications ensue involving two cops and too many cases of mistaken-identity to count.

The small cast did a commendable job bringing to life the beautifully written and witty script. The entire cast had praiseworthy comedic timing and kept up the pacing of the show, delivering one joke after another. They were all fully invested in their characters providing fitting reactions to the events that unfolded. The various technical aspects further enhanced the overall admirable quality of the production that filled the auditorium with laughter.

Connor Gillooly as Henry Perkins carried the show with his charm and strong comedic timing. He kept the audience engaged, providing one twist after another stringing the house along in his web of tangled lies. His wife, Jean Perkins, played by Miranda Newman, showed great pleasure in becoming quite the drunk, using it to her advantage, providing amusing bits amongst all the chaos. The family friends of Vic and Betty Johnson, played by Austin Burch and Adrianna Hauser, respectably, added to the solid performance. Altogether, the two couples complemented each other well and played off of one another providing great chemistry and excitement.

Jeremy Washington as Davenport and Khalied Bashri as Slater, two cops, added to the liveliness of the cast and made the most of their stage time displaying the effort put in to developing their characters. Jeremy Washington played Davenport with great ease and was fully committed to his character. It was clear he enjoyed every moment he had on stage.

The technical aspects were nothing less than great. The fully-functional set was complete with furniture and wall decorations, and decorated rooms within the room. The timing of the phone rings was seamless and the lights illuminated the stage, leaving no actors in the dark.

Centreville's production of Funny Money provided audience members with a night of comedy and let their imaginations take flight as they pondered what they would do if they ever came across that kind of cash.

Chris Doan
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to ShowBizRadio.net

A riotous rumble of rascals roams the stage during Centreville High School's delightful production of the whimsical Funny Money. Starring an ordinary English chap who stumbles into a dangerously valuable windfall on his evening commute, comedy and felonies join hand-in-hand in an ordinary-turned-extraordinary English night.

Written by Dan Cooney, Funny Money premiered in London in the Churchill Theatre. Soon after, the play successfully ran in the West End for two years, and was later adapted into a well-received 2006 movie starring Chevy Chase. This comedic farce revolves around a simple English accountant—the thoroughly unremarkable Henry Perkins—and his misadventures with a briefcase containing two million, two hundred and thirty-five thousand British pounds. Having mistakenly swapped his actual briefcase—containing a cheese and chutney sandwich—with the money on the train, Henry arrives at home in a daze caused by his newfound wealth. In his quest to keep the dough and evade the coppers, Henry Perkins must navigate through an obstacle course of mistaken identities, obstinate "relatives," and the ominous owner of the newly acquired "brerfcurse," the foreign Mr. Big.

Set in a quaint English household, the set was aesthetically impressive. Although static in scope, the minute level of detail contained in the set, including a kitchen and dining room, allowed the space to attain a unique dynamic. Dazzlingly lit, there were never issues with visibility throughout the show, even as taxi drivers, drunken wives, and detectives stormed into and slinked out of the residence.

Anchoring the show as the unassuming Henry Perkins, Connor Gillooly demonstrated commanding stage presence, manipulating police officers and taxi drivers alike. With rapid-fire responses to mislead the detectives on his case, Gillooly created a riotous response as he made up a familial mythology of sisters in law, brothers in law, and farm owners in Australia. While misling the feds, Gillooly attempted to persuade his love to escape with the cash to Barcelona with him. Henry's wife Jean Perkins, an alcohol abstinent, was portrayed by Miranda Newman. With her constant obstinacy to Gillooly's plea to run away to Barcelona, Newman surrenders to alcohol to drown her sorrows. Becoming increasingly unsteady throughout the show, Newman's intoxicated mannerisms drew hearty chuckles throughout the night as she refused to run away to "Barlecona."

Aiding the escape of the Perkins were the Johnson duo, the catty Betty Johnson and the somewhat slow Vic Johnson. As the wealth-enamored Betty, Adrianna Hauser portrayed the part with great élan. Likewise, the stolid Vic Johnson was portrayed by Austin Burch whose reluctance and comedic physicality reenergized the pace of the production as he found himself known as Henry's in law from the Land Down Under. As unexpected visitors, the detectives Davenport and Slater arrived on the scene of a flustered household. Initially intruding to investigate his belief that Henry was soliciting, Jeremy Washington as Davenport arrived as a shock to the two couples. With Khalied Bashri as Slater, the duo provided a volatile element of hilarity to the production, as their explosive movements completely discombobulated the Perkins' plans. Overall, the cast's vivacity drove the production, with excellent comedic timing. Illustrated by raunchy jokes, the cast reacted fantastically to unexpected visitors with actions that created visual double entendres, such as a suspiciously large yellow blanket which lead one of the detectives to suspect that "hanky-panky" was occurring.

With mistaken identities all about, a Mr. Big afoot, and cops sniffing about at home, the Perkins kept their cool and enthralled the audience in Centreville High School's side-splitting production of Funny Money.

Corinne Maclean
Freedom High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - CV

Several cases of mistaken identity, two cops, one cab driver, and over two million pounds. What else would a man want for his birthday - besides a trip to Barcelona? The hilariously over the top British farce, Funny Money, tells the story of a plainly simple man, Henry Perkins, who accidentally picks up the wrong briefcase, or "burfcurse" as it is referred to, after his ride on the tube. His actions as a newly discovered millionaire lead to this hilariously crude and inappropriate comedy filled with countless laughs and innuendos. The cast from Centerville High School handled this dry British comedy with seasoned maturity and took advantage of the hilariously written script.

Written by Ray Conney, Funny Money, first premiered at The Churchill Theatre, Bromley, London, England in in 1994; later moving to The West End in London for a two year run. The play written for the stage was then adapted into a wildly popular film starring Chevy Chase in 2006, which brought the wildly popular British comedy to the US.

The simple-minded and frantically quick-thinking Henry Perkins was played by Connor Gillooly who brought a nerdy and jittery aspect to the character that kept the whole cast and audience on their toes, waiting for the next punch line or next clever quip. Gillooly was integral in keeping the pacing of the show level and steady while also providing elements of physical and situational comedy that stood leaps and bounds above the other cast members. Not only did Gillooly hold his own, he also played great relationships with the other actors including Miranda Newman who played his not so sober wife Jean Perkins, and Austin Burch who played his not so comprehensive friend Vic Johnson.

The small cast of eight people worked well together to create the comedic and dramatic intensity needed to successfully keep the comedy relevant and exciting to the audience. Their reoccurring bits, including the "hanky panky under the blanky", were played to perfection and conveyed the idea of the characters digging themselves farther into their own graves very well.

The set, which remained the same throughout the show was very pleasing to the eye and did its job to adequately liven up the stage without being distracting. The juxtaposition between the whimsically bright blue colored walls and the crazily random situations that played out over the duration of the play was very interesting and helped propel the show forward.

The show as a whole was wildly entertaining with only a few lapses in characterization and energy. Along with a few unexpected surprises and two gunshots, Centerville High School's production of Funney Money, definitely left the audience in stitches.

Emilia Brennan
Oakton High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

You can tell a lot about a man by what he keeps in his brief case. An old sandwich, for instance, reveals a very different person then, say,two million two hundred and thirty five thousand pounds in cash. (A brief case of crack cocaine is a whole different story). Drunken hysterics, an ominous telephone screech and male solicitation were all birthday dinner guests at Centreville High School's farcical production of "Funny Money."

Written by Ray Cooney, the production follows classic absurdist styles with physical gags and a constant rotation of characters. The show opened at The Churchill Theatre, Bromley, London, England, in 1994, followed by a successful two-year run in the West End. Ray Cooney was both director, and actor of lead role Henry Perkins in the production's original run. Set over the course of one hectic night, the show follows Henry Perkins as he realizes he picked up the wrong brief case on his train ride home from work. The one he mistook for his own contained an suspiciously illegal amount of money, and in a state of crazed euphoria he rushed home with plans to grab his wife and flee the country. Their trip, however, is delayed by the arrival of two detectives, dinner guests, and the ominous threat of "Mr. Big".

Connor Gillooly (Henry Perkins) entered the stage in a state of disheveled disbelief. In the possession of over a million pounds, he quickly gave his wife a nonsensical explanation for his erratic behavior before booking first rate tickets to Barcelona. Throughout the entirety of the performance Gillooly's energy was unwavering, and while other cast members sometimes struggled to uphold a rapid pace befitting the farce, Gillooly's timing and line delivery was impeccable. His levels of frenzy increased with the show's duration, and watching him spin obvious lies was hilarious.

Miranda Newman played Jean, Henry's wife. Newman infused the proper elements of confusion and anxiety into her performance as she was frequently the one left to deal with detectives. To calm her nerves, she turned to alcohol; Newman played a drunken character with hilarity and realism. Betty and Vic Johnson (Adrianna Hauser, Austin Burch) were neighbors coming to celebrate Henry's birthday. They had no idea what madness they were about to enter. Roped into investigations and questioning, Vic and Betty went along with Henry's egregious lies in order to help their friends. Hauser played the constant voice of reason, while Burch's character was hopelessly clueless.

The set displayed immediate craftsmanship with its fully furnished room, a staircase, and four working doors. Allowing for constant exits and entrances the choices made all worked perfectly with the script. The lighting work was notable during the start of each act as the stage lights came on in perfect sync with the living room's working lamps. The most memorable technical aspect of the show was undeniably the stage gun which, while simulative, was startlingly realistic and added an extreme amount of tension to the climax of the show.

With dynamic energy and charisma, the cast of Centreville's Funny Money delivered too many jokes to mention. A temporary wife swap-- a "death" in the family-- Australia?! Whatever tickles your fancy is sure to be had in the uproarious production--along with a solemn warning; brief cases must be clearly labeled or things, well, might get a little funny.

Jordan Goodson
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

If you found a wallet with twenty dollars inside, would you try to return in? What about a briefcase containing over two million pounds? With laughter, lies, and levity, Centreville High School answers that question and more in their lively production of Funny Money.

Written and directed by Ray Cooney, Funny Money premiered in England in 1994, quickly moving to the West End and later adapted to a movie starring Chevy Chase in 2006. The plot centers around middle-aged Englishman Henry Perkins, who accidentally ends up with the wrong briefcase after a fortuitous ride on the London underground—a briefcase filled with cash instead of a cheese-and-chutney sandwich. Perkins, after a few drinks at the pub, decides to take the money and run off to Barcelona with his reluctant wife. But after meddlesome policemen, bumbling friends, and an impatient taxi driver get thrown into the mix, chaos reigns and farce becomes the name of the game.

The small but tightly-knit cast worked well together, playing off each other in a fast-paced yet controlled rhythm. At the helm of the show, Connor Gillooly as Henry Perkins flawlessly captured the rising mania of a man whose lies take on a life of their own, his physicality and vocal expression becoming increasingly erratic with each new falsity. Miranda Newman—as Perkin's frazzled wife Jean – added to the hilarity of the evening with perfectly timed drunken shenanigans, including small but brilliant improvised bits with which Newman spoke volumes about her character without having to utter a word. The relationship between the two was well fleshed out, with all the nuances established after many years of marriage present and accounted for.

Austin Burch and Adrianna Hauser, as the Perkins' old friends Vic and Betty Johnson, proved to be quite the dynamic duo. Burch's exaggerated reactions heightened the show's farcical nature, and his booming voice brought life to the few moments where the energy dimmed a bit. Hauser's initially calming presence soothed the mounting hysteria, but later—when Betty instigates an unprecedented wife-swap—switched to adding fuel the comedic fire. Santiago Jauregui garnered numerous laughs as frustrated cab driver Bill, who contributed a dash of sanity to the production before succumbing to the madness himself. Also commendable were Jeremy Washington as the crooked detective Davenport, and Khalied Bashri as the honest detective Slater. Washington's transition from seemingly hardboiled to corrupt and devious was seamless, while Davenport presented an impeccable straight man to the others' wild antics.

The production's technical elements were simple yet effective. The set—comprising of one room in the Perkin's household—was aesthetically pleasing and well-constructed, adding a professional air to the show. The costumes were bright and colorful, and the hair and makeup unobtrusive. Though basic, the lighting design worked well and was executed efficiently. Most impressive were the special effects, which included a prop gun and a shattering plate, both of which were highly realistic.

In a high-intensity comedy such as Funny Money, commitment is important: a cast must throw off all notions of self-awareness and embrace the ridiculous. Centreville's cast rose to the challenge, and with dedication, dynamism, and pure exuberance they hilariously illustrated the truth of writer Walter Scott's famous quote: "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."