by Michaela Clement-Hayes

What would you do if you were offered something that could change the world? Would you take it? Of course you would. But what if you found out that it wasn’t from a reputable source? What then?

This is exactly the dilemma that we are faced with in The Money. We join a committee meeting over Zoom, full of the usual politics, casual snipes and eye rolling. Different people clash over ethics and ideas, while other back stories lurk around the corner.

The Nyoni Foundation does really good work. But the pandemic has been hard and they’re struggling to make ends meet. Luckily the Anders Foundation has offered them a whopping cash injection that could be the answer to their prayers. However, the Foundation is part of the Anders Corporation, a ruthless organisation with questionable morals and devastating outcomes. The audience is forced to choose who to support, listening into conversations between smaller groups of the committee to understand the truth about the Corporation. We must then vote as to whether or not we take the money.

This digital production of The Money (written by Isla van Tricht and directed by Guy Woolf), is really well done. It’s slick, with an excellent script and fantastic actors. The moral dilemma is tricky and each character has their own viewpoint that has been established through their work, life and beliefs. It starts off well with an introduction to the characters and their situations. It’s an interesting concept, each character has their own quirks and the cast works really well together. At times, the story drags slightly so the script needs some more finesse to help the audience stays more engaged throughout. There’s also limited interaction available, so sadly it does feel a little bit too much like a work meeting at some points. 

All of the actors are strong and believable in their roles, while a well-done cameo from Mel Giedroyc that’s not gratuitous. The ending, when it comes, is devastating and despite knowing it was fiction, the guilt that washed over us was real. All in all a very good production.

Available on Zoom until 15 May.

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