Theatre503, London (2021)
Summerhall, Edinburgh Fringe (2022)
Directed by Alex Kampfner

About Money was produced by 65% Theatre and performed at Theatre503 (London, 2021) and Summerhall (The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2022). The play was awarded Runner Up (for Best New Scottish Play) at the Scottish Theatre Awards and shortlisted for the Saint Andrews Playwriting Award. 

About

“Weans. They get expensive, you know?”

Fast Food worker Shaun is your average eighteen year old boy. He likes music, video games and getting stoned.

He’s also the sole carer to his eight year old sister, Sophie. Without enough money for child-care, and under pressure from an unsympathetic boss, he’s forced to make decisions that could have devastating consequences.

Drawn from interviews with young kinship carers, and inspired by the McDonald’s Strikes of 2018, this Glasgow drama is about family, love and friendship in a world where instability and the lack of money threatens all three.

‘BEST SCOTTISH PRODUCTION AT THE FRINGE’: RUNNER-UP
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAINT ANDREWS PLAYWRITING AWARD 2022

★★★★ The Scotsman (Sally Stott): ‘Tasty’s is a place where you can cause trouble, question things and get fired just like anywhere else, and Shaun is conflicted over whether he has the energy or money to join sassy Londoner Hannah in her attempts to start a union – the Jabberwockys of Sophie’s stories easier to defeat in fiction than real life. But when it feels like the (now) four-person family have finally been broken, a single word at the end of Eliza Gearty’s cleverly structured, powerfully performed play offers a slice of hope through the dark.’

★★★★★ Broadway Baby (Rebecca Vines): ‘This is a visceral and vitally important piece in which playwright Eliza Gearty and director Alex Kampfner have wrought an exquisite little nugget of social political theatre: sublime in delivery and haunting in subject material. But whilst this is a rollicking good story in its own right, and has all the hallmarks of a successful plotline, About Money is so much more than that. It shines a light on a shabby, dog-eared piece of our country’s financial jigsaw and as such, deserves to be seen by the largest of audiences.’

★★★★ Broadway World (Natalie O’Donoghue): ‘The relationship between Shaun (Michael McCardie), Eddie (Matthew Boyle) and Sophie (Lois Hagerty) is written beautifully. It is touching to watch the way these teenage lads care for the young girl, play pretend and endure makeovers to make her happy. About Money shines a light on the harsh realities for young kinship carers. The family have to be careful to ensure that nobody knows Sophie is being cared for by her teenage brother and he struggles to support them both on his meagre wage. This brilliant new play is completely gripping and brought to life by a talented cast.’

★★★★ Scottish Field (Jeremy Welch): ‘This script could have been a political rant with sharp edges and shouty. It is none of these. Instead, it’s a beautifully-written script by Eliza Gearty. It is well observed, emotionally discrete and, at the same time, full of sadness and desperation. Throughout there is an extremely skilfully thread sewn into the script: is the sibling love between Shaun and Sophie enough to escape their current hell?… It really is great stuff.’

★★★★ The Wee Review (Claire Wood): ‘As the cost of living crisis beckons, this timely production explores the heartbreaking decisions forced on people when they can’t make ends meet.’

★★★★ Bouquets and Brickbats (Susan Singfield) ‘Eliza Gearty’s play is a timely one (similar in theme to Katherine Soper’s Wish List), highlighting how unfair and how unfit for purpose the gig economy really is.’