Media Gallery

Rehearsal Photographs

Production Photographs

Serious Money contains very strong language

Running time approximately 2h 35m including one interval. This time is subject to change, please check back before your visit.

Special Dates

Audio

  • Listen to this page from our Audio Brochure
  • Listen to the audio introduction to the show

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company presents

Serious Money

Fri 8 May 2009 – Sat 23 May 2009

Main House

Archive

By Caryl Churchill

As Britain’s financial turmoil dominates the headlines we step back to 1987 when the financial world came tumbling down with the Wall Street crash.

Caryl Churchill’s play Serious Money takes a look at the ruthless world of corporate finance and City greed. The Big Bang has changed the City. The square mile has been invaded by white knights and corporate raiders. Hot-shot dealer Billy Corman is plotting to take over the unsuspecting company Albion, aided and abetted by the new breed of yuppie traders. But their plans go awry when trader Jake Todd is found dead and the Department of Trade and Industry is brought in to investigate.

Full of satire and humour, Serious Money conveys the hectic excitement and the moral danger of financial risk bringing to life the swaggering, foul mouthed yuppies of the 80s.

A major force in British theatre, Caryl Churchill is one of the greatest and most celebrated playwrights of her generation. Her plays include Cloud Nine, Top Girls and A Number, which fast became one of the 21st century’s most acclaimed plays. Serious Money received its World Premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in 1987 after which it enjoyed runs in the West End and on Broadway.

See what the Press Night audience thought of the play:

“Serious Money is pure genius”
Daily Telegraph

“Serious Money takes a satirical swipe at the yuppies of Threadneedle Street, as well as get-rich-quick wheeler-deelers of both sexes”
Sunday Express

“Churchill has stood at the heart of the big bang and defined a world living off high-speed stealth”
The Observer

“It’s hard to resist the show’s satirical exuberance”
The Guardian

Date Time Date information
Fri 8th May 2009 19:30
Sat 9th May 2009 19:30
Mon 11th May 2009 19:30
Tue 12th May 2009 19:00
Wed 13th May 2009 19:30
Thu 14th May 2009 19:30 After Dark
Fri 15th May 2009 19:30
Sat 16th May 2009 14:00 Captioned Performance
Sat 16th May 2009 19:30
Mon 18th May 2009 19:30
Tue 19th May 2009 19:30
Wed 20th May 2009 19:30
Thu 21st May 2009 14:00 Theatre Day
Thu 21st May 2009 19:30 Audio Described Performance
Fri 22nd May 2009 19:30 BSL Interpreted Performance
Sat 23rd May 2009 19:30

Bookmark with:

Comments

Andrew Cowie from Moseley

I saw the London West End transfer of the original production in 1987 (sadly sans Gary Oldman from the original Royal Court cast) and it was great! It's a Restoration comedy for the Greed Is Good decade and a lot of the strength of the original show was Max Stafford-Clark's production which presented a parade of venal Hogarthian monsters blasting out filthy rhyming couplets at top speed and high volume. It will be interesting to see how The Rep stage it 22 years later and whether the attitudes have dated or the current financial melt-down gives it a new relevance.

Nikki from Telford

I went to see Serious Money at The Rep on Saturday 9th and it was a good night out. The play was fast moving if a little confusing at times due to fast character changes and moving about in time. However, I didn't get to the end of the play wondering what was going on. I may not have understood every word the characters uttered but it was very easy to understand the type of people they were and what the play was about. This play may be 20 years old but it doesn't feel out of date. Well worth watching!

Serena from Moseley

I saw the play last week and thought it was really interesting, certainly very resonant for now. There's a review on my blog here: http://cultureandanarchy.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/serious-money/

Ted Heath from Solihull

Excellent production, full of energy, wit (both barbed and caustic!), relevance and thoroughly entertaining. The characters look a little stereotyped now but we'e all met or seen their like.

mary from Sutton Coldfield

Serious Money. I talked my son into coming with me,and, as he was only a child in the 80's, thought it would me my kind of thing and probably not his. Well- he really enjoyed it and I fell asleep in the 2nd half!!

Nick from Birmingham

We thought this was a superb production of a deeply relevant and thought-provoking play - congratulations to cast, director, designer and all concerned in any way.

DKJ from Lichfield

Serious Money was a terrific production. Visually exciting, tremendous pace, very entertaining, wonderful timing. Congratulations to everyone.

Gordon from Birmingham

I used my Rep Club membership to buy 4 tickets as my parents were in town and that represented tremendous value, given the show was so good. My folks, who attend many different events about the country, thought it excellent, as did I.

Aidan from Sedgley

An excellent production of this topical play. Well done to everyone!

Flossy

Excellent play highly appropriate in these troubled times, but not one I would see again mainly due to continuous serious bad language which frankly put me off.

If your comment requires a response from The REP, please use the Contact form