Gone A Million

Gone A Million is a comedy set in the 70s just after the first million dollar lottery was introduced in WA. It tells the story of the Sutton family – Tom, Irene and their three grown up children, Sandra, Stephen and Cathy - who live in Scarborough. With them lives Irene’s 70 year old Aunty Gwen who is a regular buyer of lottery tickets. Aunty wins the big prize and promises the family they’ll all get some. However, they immediately embark on a mad frenzy of spending which gets so out of hand that Aunty decides enough is enough and heads off on an indefinite overseas trip. This surprises the rest of the family but does nothing to curb their splurging (all on credit, of course)… Some months pass and still Aunty has not returned. The bills are now coming in with a vengeance – collectors beating at the door and furniture repossession in full swing. It’s not until a highly suspicious Social Security Inspector comes to investigate why Aunty Gwen’s pension cheques have not been cashed that the Suttons are stopped in their tracks – they are now accused of murder! Gone A Million is a light-hearted look at the corrupting effect of easy money. Easy come, easy go and everyone for him or her self. But there is always a day of reckoning. The story may be set in the 70s but the message is equally relevant for any other time including the present decade. Gone A Million was first staged by the Stirling Players in the old Progress Hall in Guildercliffe St, Scarborough, in 1977. The author, Peter Flanigan, is well known to local theatre goers for his many original works for the theatre. Recent productions of his plays at the Stirling Theatre include The Rocks, There’s A War on You Know and Gordon Booth (Deceased). Gone A Million will open on Friday 20 February and run until Saturday 7 March. Bookings open Friday 23 January through Morris News 9440 1040 and BOCS 9484 1133.