We interview the 'master of farce'
Ray Cooney OBE
Out of Order
is coming to the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
10th July to 15th July 2017
Ray Cooney OBE
Out of Order
is coming to the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
10th July to 15th July 2017
Ray Cooney revisits his old haunt, the Palace theatre, with his favourite play ‘Out of Order.’
Ray Cooney is recognised as ‘The Master of Farce’ and has written many of them, including Run for Your Wife, Funny Money and It Runs in the Family. He has now returned to Southend with Out of Order. He has gathered a well- known cast that includes Shaun Williamson (EastEnders, Extras); Sue Holderness (Only Fools & Horses, Green Green Grass); Jeffrey Harmer (Diana Her True Story); Susie Amy (Footballers Wives); James Holmes (Miranda) and Arthur Bostrom (‘Allo ‘Allo!).
Out of Order is a hysterical farce that revolves around a philandering politician. When Richard Willey, a Government Junior Minister, plans to spend the evening with an opposition secretary Jane Worthington, in the Westminster Hotel, things go disastrously wrong. It starts with the discovery of a body trapped in the hotel’s unreliable sash window. Calling on his male secretary to help with his lies and deception, things go from bad to worse. There is more confusion with the arrival of Jane’s distraught young husband, an unscrupulous waiter, a frustrated hotel manager and Willey’s wife.
I spent some time talking to Ray Cooney about his production and his 70 year career:-
The current actors are known for TV work, do you have to approach the play differently when you’re not working with theatre actors?
Although the faces are familiar from TV, some of them are very experienced on the stage. Sue Holderness and Arthur Bostrom have appeared in many productions. Arthur is very good as the comedy bounces off his straight face. Shaun Williams is known for East Enders, but he has appeared on stage regularly as a comedian. Sometimes, comedians can’t act comedy as they try too hard to be funny, but Shaun has proved he is a very good stage actor.
When the play is touring, as the director, do you go with them, and make changes as it goes along?
No, the Assistant Director is in the play, he’s the dead body, so he tours with the cast. We rehearse for three full weeks. Then I stay for the first week, which was in Guildford, and then we polish for the next week and then I ease up. It is a twenty-week tour. I keep in touch by seeing it every 2/3 weeks. I shall be in Westcliff when it’s performed at the Palace Theatre as I had family connections here. I moved from London to Westcliff when I was fifteen years old and lived with my parents in Palmeira Avenue. I started acting when I was fourteen and commuted to London. I have favourite places that I go to all the time such as Smileys café.
You were also involved with the Palace Theatre at one time. Tell me a little about that.
I ran the Palace Theatre in the 70s. I was there for three or four years. Then the council took it back. I was actor, director, writer and manager. I loved doing it because I was a local boy. I tried out Why Not Stay for Breakfast there, acting in it, and then Derek Nimmo played the part when it transferred to the West End.
Out of Order is a hysterical farce that revolves around a philandering politician. When Richard Willey, a Government Junior Minister, plans to spend the evening with an opposition secretary Jane Worthington, in the Westminster Hotel, things go disastrously wrong. It starts with the discovery of a body trapped in the hotel’s unreliable sash window. Calling on his male secretary to help with his lies and deception, things go from bad to worse. There is more confusion with the arrival of Jane’s distraught young husband, an unscrupulous waiter, a frustrated hotel manager and Willey’s wife.
I spent some time talking to Ray Cooney about his production and his 70 year career:-
The current actors are known for TV work, do you have to approach the play differently when you’re not working with theatre actors?
Although the faces are familiar from TV, some of them are very experienced on the stage. Sue Holderness and Arthur Bostrom have appeared in many productions. Arthur is very good as the comedy bounces off his straight face. Shaun Williams is known for East Enders, but he has appeared on stage regularly as a comedian. Sometimes, comedians can’t act comedy as they try too hard to be funny, but Shaun has proved he is a very good stage actor.
When the play is touring, as the director, do you go with them, and make changes as it goes along?
No, the Assistant Director is in the play, he’s the dead body, so he tours with the cast. We rehearse for three full weeks. Then I stay for the first week, which was in Guildford, and then we polish for the next week and then I ease up. It is a twenty-week tour. I keep in touch by seeing it every 2/3 weeks. I shall be in Westcliff when it’s performed at the Palace Theatre as I had family connections here. I moved from London to Westcliff when I was fifteen years old and lived with my parents in Palmeira Avenue. I started acting when I was fourteen and commuted to London. I have favourite places that I go to all the time such as Smileys café.
You were also involved with the Palace Theatre at one time. Tell me a little about that.
I ran the Palace Theatre in the 70s. I was there for three or four years. Then the council took it back. I was actor, director, writer and manager. I loved doing it because I was a local boy. I tried out Why Not Stay for Breakfast there, acting in it, and then Derek Nimmo played the part when it transferred to the West End.
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What made you turn your hand to writing?
From the age of fourteen to twenty four, I did nothing but rep (repertory theatre). Then in 1956, I joined the Brian Rix Company of Whitehall farces on an Equity contract. The play Simple Spymen ran for four years. In rep, I’d been busy in the day, but now as a single man, I found I had nothing to do, there was only so much tennis, and chasing girls, I could do. As I had appeared in about 150 plays over time, I had soaked up so much theatre that a natural progression was to start writing. I co-wrote One for the Pot with Tony Hilton. Then I was asked to direct Ben Travers’ play Thark and that segued into producing. I mainly act and direct now.
So you are not writing now.
I haven’t written a new play for four years. Some years ago, I co-wrote Tom, Dick and Harry with my son Michael. I directed it in the West End starring the McGann brothers.
Writing is obviously in the genes if your son is also a writer.
Michael has a mind that twists and turns like mine, but he prefers thrillers. He writes horror screenplays in the U.S., but he did write a farce, Cash on Delivery.
You are known as the ‘master of farce,’ have you ever written any serious drama?
No, I only write comedy. I need a dramatic story line though. An example is the man being a bigamist leading a double life that could be the worst thing. Then you can see the funny side of it. There is always drama in farce.
Your plays are performed all over the world. What is it about them that crosses cultural and language barriers?
Yes, all my plays are staged worldwide. People want to be happy and laugh. In the Ukraine, they have a lot of problems so they want to forget them by laughing. The Russians love them because they are so physical. Originally, when foreign producers saw a play I often had dinner with them. They would ask why the audience was laughing and I would explain and discuss with them how to do it. They have been using the same scripts from 30/40 years ago. Run for your Wife is a favourite, but also Out of Order and Funny Money. I am a very lucky guy.
You are the Honorary Patron of the local amateur society Lindisfarne, who successfully performed this play a couple of years ago. They will be performing your play Funny Money in March 2018.
Yes, I have taken part in a workshop with them. Although Out of Order is my favourite I also love Funny Money. I really enjoyed performing in it for 18 months with Sylvia Simms.
I saw on the internet that you are involved in producing short films.
I’m not really a producer. An understudy in Out of Order makes short films. I like to encourage young people so I am helping financially. I suppose I have become an ‘Angel.’ I want to support young people, as we need new blood. All children like to play act when young, so the theatre will never die. However, it needs encouragement; the average age of the theatre audience these days is mature. That is because when young they went to the theatre, as there was no TV or internet. It is important to encourage young people to take part and go to see theatre productions.
You’re also a producer of the award winning improvised musical Showstoppers, which is touring before it goes to the Edinburgh festival. Tell me a little about how that.
Again, I’m not really a producer, more of an ‘Angel.’ It is a wonderful show where every night they improvise a musical. It is completely inventive with no tricks or scripts. They are not relying on any technology, but everything is improvised, even lyrics, music and choreography. I have seen it about twenty times and every time it is different.
Do you ever see yourself retiring?
In this business, you don’t really retire. You either go mad or drop dead (he laughs). I am 85 years old but I feel no different. I have been lucky with my genes as I am fit and healthy. Being so involved with productions keeps me going. You never know I might get a great idea for a play and be busy writing again. However, any spare time I do have, I spend gardening.
Interview: Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
From the age of fourteen to twenty four, I did nothing but rep (repertory theatre). Then in 1956, I joined the Brian Rix Company of Whitehall farces on an Equity contract. The play Simple Spymen ran for four years. In rep, I’d been busy in the day, but now as a single man, I found I had nothing to do, there was only so much tennis, and chasing girls, I could do. As I had appeared in about 150 plays over time, I had soaked up so much theatre that a natural progression was to start writing. I co-wrote One for the Pot with Tony Hilton. Then I was asked to direct Ben Travers’ play Thark and that segued into producing. I mainly act and direct now.
So you are not writing now.
I haven’t written a new play for four years. Some years ago, I co-wrote Tom, Dick and Harry with my son Michael. I directed it in the West End starring the McGann brothers.
Writing is obviously in the genes if your son is also a writer.
Michael has a mind that twists and turns like mine, but he prefers thrillers. He writes horror screenplays in the U.S., but he did write a farce, Cash on Delivery.
You are known as the ‘master of farce,’ have you ever written any serious drama?
No, I only write comedy. I need a dramatic story line though. An example is the man being a bigamist leading a double life that could be the worst thing. Then you can see the funny side of it. There is always drama in farce.
Your plays are performed all over the world. What is it about them that crosses cultural and language barriers?
Yes, all my plays are staged worldwide. People want to be happy and laugh. In the Ukraine, they have a lot of problems so they want to forget them by laughing. The Russians love them because they are so physical. Originally, when foreign producers saw a play I often had dinner with them. They would ask why the audience was laughing and I would explain and discuss with them how to do it. They have been using the same scripts from 30/40 years ago. Run for your Wife is a favourite, but also Out of Order and Funny Money. I am a very lucky guy.
You are the Honorary Patron of the local amateur society Lindisfarne, who successfully performed this play a couple of years ago. They will be performing your play Funny Money in March 2018.
Yes, I have taken part in a workshop with them. Although Out of Order is my favourite I also love Funny Money. I really enjoyed performing in it for 18 months with Sylvia Simms.
I saw on the internet that you are involved in producing short films.
I’m not really a producer. An understudy in Out of Order makes short films. I like to encourage young people so I am helping financially. I suppose I have become an ‘Angel.’ I want to support young people, as we need new blood. All children like to play act when young, so the theatre will never die. However, it needs encouragement; the average age of the theatre audience these days is mature. That is because when young they went to the theatre, as there was no TV or internet. It is important to encourage young people to take part and go to see theatre productions.
You’re also a producer of the award winning improvised musical Showstoppers, which is touring before it goes to the Edinburgh festival. Tell me a little about how that.
Again, I’m not really a producer, more of an ‘Angel.’ It is a wonderful show where every night they improvise a musical. It is completely inventive with no tricks or scripts. They are not relying on any technology, but everything is improvised, even lyrics, music and choreography. I have seen it about twenty times and every time it is different.
Do you ever see yourself retiring?
In this business, you don’t really retire. You either go mad or drop dead (he laughs). I am 85 years old but I feel no different. I have been lucky with my genes as I am fit and healthy. Being so involved with productions keeps me going. You never know I might get a great idea for a play and be busy writing again. However, any spare time I do have, I spend gardening.
Interview: Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
www.CooneyOnStage.com
Out of Order is on at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff - www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Mon - Thu Including Matinees £32.00 £30.00 £25.00
Fri & Sat 8pm - £34.00 £32.00 £27.00
Concessions £2.00 off (excludes Fri & Sat 8pm)
Senior Citizen Mid-week Matinee Special £25.00
Group Discounts 10% off groups 10-19, 20% off groups 20+
Prices shown are inclusive of any applicable booking fees. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.
The tour ends :-
17 - 22 July
NOTTINGHAM
Theatre Royal
0115 989 5555
Out of Order is on at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff - www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Mon - Thu Including Matinees £32.00 £30.00 £25.00
Fri & Sat 8pm - £34.00 £32.00 £27.00
Concessions £2.00 off (excludes Fri & Sat 8pm)
Senior Citizen Mid-week Matinee Special £25.00
Group Discounts 10% off groups 10-19, 20% off groups 20+
Prices shown are inclusive of any applicable booking fees. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.
The tour ends :-
17 - 22 July
NOTTINGHAM
Theatre Royal
0115 989 5555