Kim shows her surprise at meeting the 'master of farce' Ray Cooney
Playwright, Ray Cooney OBE pops in to see Lindisfarne Players’ rehearsal of Cash on Delivery
Lindisfarne Players’ next production is Michael Cooney’s farcical comedy, Cash on Delivery. Michael Cooney is the son of the undisputed ‘king of farce’ Ray Cooney and he has obviously been well taught as Cash on Delivery is a riotous mix of all the usual capers and mishaps that one expects from the Cooney pen.
Steve McCartney, long time member of Lindisfarne, has been a Cooney fan ever since he can remember and has previously successfully directed two Cooney farces for the group; Out of Order (twice) and Run for your Wife. He is now in the middle of rehearsals for Michael Cooney’s Cash on Delivery and Southend Theatre Scene have been invited to come and see tonight’s rehearsal as they are expecting a very special visitor.
Steve was lucky enough to be invited to one of Ray Cooney’s summer garden parties this year and, never one to miss an opportunity, thought he’d chance his arm and ask Ray if he would like to come and see Lindisfarne in one of their rehearsals of Cash on Delivery and maybe give some pointers to the cast.
As we arrive, Steve, with eager anticipation, has already set up the scene for Act 1 of the play. There’s the usual sofa in the living room scenario and more doors than one would usually anticipate a living room to have; but then this is a Cooney farce and Cooney farces need A LOT of doors. Front door, kitchen door, bedroom door, utility room door…oh and the telephone, there HAS to be a telephone, as well as many other numerous props that are essential to the smooth running of a farce. Steve says, “This is the first night the cast have used props.” - No pressure then! - With six weeks to go until curtain up, Steve has all the sound cues ready to go for the first time tonight too. No wonder the cast are looking a tad nervous.
Talking of doors, look who’s just walked in. Ray arrives with his lovely wife of 52 years, Linda, and he makes a point of introducing himself and Linda to each of us before we sit ourselves down in the rehearsal hall. Ray is 82 now and much smaller and frailer than I imagined he would be but he’s full of fun, especially when he sees young Megan Terry, who plays Brenda, in her short skirt, “Oooh, helloo!” he says, with a saucy smile.
“Actors first” says Ray with a wink, ushering us all through the door before he takes his seat. “Now, don’t be nervous,” he tells the cast, “there’s nothing to be nervous about.” Lizzie Smith, who is playing Dr Chapman, isn’t quite so sure.
Ray decides to sit himself in the corner with his notepad and pen and quietly observes the cast, who do a fantastic job of performing the first act of the play. Rob Stow and Rory Joscelyne as the main characters, Eric and Norman, have us all laughing out loud, including Ray and Linda, which is wonderful and quite a relief. Likewise with the other characters that are all involved in the intricate web that this play hilariously spins.
Ray’s response at the end of the Act 1 performance is a delighted, “Well done. You’re gonna get a lot of laughs. Wow!” “You did a really good job.” he tells the cast. “People often ask me what the difference is between comedy and farce.” Ray explains, “Farce is about real people in crazy situations. It’s real and the audience must believe that this is real business. You really mustn’t overplay farce - keep it truthful.” “Comedy,” he says “is unreal people in a real situation, for example, as in an Ayckbourn play. Don’t mix it up!”
It’s fantastic to hear this advice from the great man himself and we are all hanging on every word he says. After all, this is the man who has been performing since he was 14 years old. He served his 2 years National Service, as all young men did in those days, and then went straight into weekly rep performing in over 200 plays over 4 years. He has said that the information he soaked up during those years in rep gave him all the experience he needed to not only perform but also to write and direct. His play, Run for your Wife ran in the West End for a record 9 years. He was given the OBE which he jokingly says stands for ‘Oh Bloody ‘Ell’, by Prince Charles in 2004 and has been writing since 1959. There seems to be no stopping him and he is still going strong, despite the fact that he writes all of his scripts in long hand and has no interest at all in modern technology. His wife and manager do all that for him.
I ask Linda what Michael is up to these days, as he is probably more well known now for being the screen writer of horror movie Identity, starring Ray Liotta and John Cusack and also the Jack Frost movie chillers. Linda tells me that he is just about to start work on a pilot in the States, where he now lives. I ask if it’s a comedy, “Oh no, it’s a horror type thing. That’s what he does now.” She says people often ask Michael where his ideas for such horrors come from and Linda thinks that although he has his father Ray’s crazy mind, he also takes after her father a little bit. “We were talking once about how such horrific ideas can come into someone’s mind and Michael turned to me and said, ‘mum, you gave me such a safe place, I knew I could walk away’.”
I wondered what kind of plays Ray likes to watch when he gets the opportunity and he informs me that he prefers to watch comedies, although he does love a musical. In fact he’s only just this week been to see Memphis, the latest musical to hit the West End, which he says is brilliant and would thoroughly recommend.
And so, after posing for photos and signing autographs for the lucky cast, Ray and Linda depart back to their home in Epping and Lindisfarne Players can relax and give themselves a huge pat on the back. If such high praise can be given by the farcical genius that is Ray Cooney at this stage of their rehearsals, then I’m pretty certain that come show week, this run of Cash on Delivery is sure to be a hit.
Tickets are available from the Box Office on 01702 351135 or go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk
This is one Cooney farce you will not want to miss!
Kim Tobin
Steve McCartney, long time member of Lindisfarne, has been a Cooney fan ever since he can remember and has previously successfully directed two Cooney farces for the group; Out of Order (twice) and Run for your Wife. He is now in the middle of rehearsals for Michael Cooney’s Cash on Delivery and Southend Theatre Scene have been invited to come and see tonight’s rehearsal as they are expecting a very special visitor.
Steve was lucky enough to be invited to one of Ray Cooney’s summer garden parties this year and, never one to miss an opportunity, thought he’d chance his arm and ask Ray if he would like to come and see Lindisfarne in one of their rehearsals of Cash on Delivery and maybe give some pointers to the cast.
As we arrive, Steve, with eager anticipation, has already set up the scene for Act 1 of the play. There’s the usual sofa in the living room scenario and more doors than one would usually anticipate a living room to have; but then this is a Cooney farce and Cooney farces need A LOT of doors. Front door, kitchen door, bedroom door, utility room door…oh and the telephone, there HAS to be a telephone, as well as many other numerous props that are essential to the smooth running of a farce. Steve says, “This is the first night the cast have used props.” - No pressure then! - With six weeks to go until curtain up, Steve has all the sound cues ready to go for the first time tonight too. No wonder the cast are looking a tad nervous.
Talking of doors, look who’s just walked in. Ray arrives with his lovely wife of 52 years, Linda, and he makes a point of introducing himself and Linda to each of us before we sit ourselves down in the rehearsal hall. Ray is 82 now and much smaller and frailer than I imagined he would be but he’s full of fun, especially when he sees young Megan Terry, who plays Brenda, in her short skirt, “Oooh, helloo!” he says, with a saucy smile.
“Actors first” says Ray with a wink, ushering us all through the door before he takes his seat. “Now, don’t be nervous,” he tells the cast, “there’s nothing to be nervous about.” Lizzie Smith, who is playing Dr Chapman, isn’t quite so sure.
Ray decides to sit himself in the corner with his notepad and pen and quietly observes the cast, who do a fantastic job of performing the first act of the play. Rob Stow and Rory Joscelyne as the main characters, Eric and Norman, have us all laughing out loud, including Ray and Linda, which is wonderful and quite a relief. Likewise with the other characters that are all involved in the intricate web that this play hilariously spins.
Ray’s response at the end of the Act 1 performance is a delighted, “Well done. You’re gonna get a lot of laughs. Wow!” “You did a really good job.” he tells the cast. “People often ask me what the difference is between comedy and farce.” Ray explains, “Farce is about real people in crazy situations. It’s real and the audience must believe that this is real business. You really mustn’t overplay farce - keep it truthful.” “Comedy,” he says “is unreal people in a real situation, for example, as in an Ayckbourn play. Don’t mix it up!”
It’s fantastic to hear this advice from the great man himself and we are all hanging on every word he says. After all, this is the man who has been performing since he was 14 years old. He served his 2 years National Service, as all young men did in those days, and then went straight into weekly rep performing in over 200 plays over 4 years. He has said that the information he soaked up during those years in rep gave him all the experience he needed to not only perform but also to write and direct. His play, Run for your Wife ran in the West End for a record 9 years. He was given the OBE which he jokingly says stands for ‘Oh Bloody ‘Ell’, by Prince Charles in 2004 and has been writing since 1959. There seems to be no stopping him and he is still going strong, despite the fact that he writes all of his scripts in long hand and has no interest at all in modern technology. His wife and manager do all that for him.
I ask Linda what Michael is up to these days, as he is probably more well known now for being the screen writer of horror movie Identity, starring Ray Liotta and John Cusack and also the Jack Frost movie chillers. Linda tells me that he is just about to start work on a pilot in the States, where he now lives. I ask if it’s a comedy, “Oh no, it’s a horror type thing. That’s what he does now.” She says people often ask Michael where his ideas for such horrors come from and Linda thinks that although he has his father Ray’s crazy mind, he also takes after her father a little bit. “We were talking once about how such horrific ideas can come into someone’s mind and Michael turned to me and said, ‘mum, you gave me such a safe place, I knew I could walk away’.”
I wondered what kind of plays Ray likes to watch when he gets the opportunity and he informs me that he prefers to watch comedies, although he does love a musical. In fact he’s only just this week been to see Memphis, the latest musical to hit the West End, which he says is brilliant and would thoroughly recommend.
And so, after posing for photos and signing autographs for the lucky cast, Ray and Linda depart back to their home in Epping and Lindisfarne Players can relax and give themselves a huge pat on the back. If such high praise can be given by the farcical genius that is Ray Cooney at this stage of their rehearsals, then I’m pretty certain that come show week, this run of Cash on Delivery is sure to be a hit.
Tickets are available from the Box Office on 01702 351135 or go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk
This is one Cooney farce you will not want to miss!
Kim Tobin
Ray Cooney with Lindisfarne cast members, Rob Stow and Rory Josceylne
