You’re cordially invited to attend the annual general meeting of the Nyoni Community Youth Project, where important subjects on the agenda will be discussed during a virtual meeting.

Zoom is the chosen format for this meeting, happening in Money, one of the new livestream shows presented by represent.theatre and Southwark Playhouse.

The audience receive a Zoom link on the day of the show and are informed that, as with any professional meeting, the meeting will start sharply at the announced hour. The charity, Nyoni Community Youth Project ,holds its annual general meeting and several points need to be discussed. The audience serves as voting trustees, and follow the discussion of five of the charity’s representatives. As the meeting goes on, a revelation is disclosed and a fundamental question is asked to the participants, representatives and audience members. As a charity dedicated to the community and helping young people and families with a financial situation in dire need of funds, would you consider accepting a milestone donation from a big company, which you’re aware will have some major ethical problems and possibly dirty money?

As the main theme of the meeting unfolds, along with ethical and environmental factors, capitalism’s two faces and the big company’s hidden aims, the vision of money as life-changing for some but facing the unacceptable on the other side is particularly well-written by Isla von Tricht in her play. She offers different points of view, arguments and misconceptions to be heard by the voices of these five characters, with their various roles and personal positions in this true-to-life charity’s AGM.

As he introduces the meeting and the participants, as Chair of the Board of Trustees, Aaron Douglas’s Glenn Rye is totally thought as a City Executive persona but reveals some unexpected bits as the meeting progresses. As CEO and founder, Saral Madziya’s Angela is an appealing character but we understand quickly that she has a heart to protect, no matter what her lifetime project and her father’s legacy, but she also shows some caring and attaching sides. Agitated between personal matters and charity conflict, Loussin-Torah Pilikian Flo’s is a caring charity officer and is also closest to the people helped by the charity but the only non-voting member. Nemide May Basri’s Kaia, as Earthside Kaia on her profile, has the ethical fundraising role and represents the sensible side with climate and ethical-conscious positions throughout. Adam Rachid Lazaar’s Avery, initially portrayed as the facetious IT guy, also shows a perceptive side when he asks the others to treat him respectfully, particularly when he’s asking and sharing reasonable opinions. Mel Giedroyc is the only other character seen. She has a chilling pre-recorded section as the CEO of the Anders Group who are offering the donation.

When the donation is put on the table, tensions and competition unravel until the closing vote. This tense atmosphere escalates, dramatically perceptible as an audience member when characters are sharing unexpected viewpoints and when it is understood that the decision may not be as obvious as it initially looks. Cleverly maintained and balanced by the cast, the digital production is by Theatrical Solutions, with direction by Guy Woolf. Choosing to offer some interactive actions during the livestream also represents this dilemma. As in a real one, the Zoom meeting is divided at some points to let the characters talk “privately” in separate groups and the audience member can quite simply move between them and eavesdrop these chats, witnessing some moving and revealing moments.

Everyone is invited to vote and depending on the outcome, we can imagine that two endings are planned and manifest concisely the standing positions of this intense and effective eighty-minute production.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Alexia Irene

Money is available to stream until 15 May here.