REVIEW: “Cash on Delivery” has built-in laughs
Theater patrons who have grown weary of promotional material promising side-splitting laughter or similar hyperbole can feel safe with “Cash on Delivery,” at least the way the Old Lyric Repertory Company presents the comedy this summer season.
A farce that has countless laughs ready-made in Brit Michael Cooney’s script, the OLRC gets the machine-gun-like timing just right, the hectic pace down pat and starts a four-play season off with some honest-to-gosh side-splitting laughs. “Cash on Delivery” pokes a bit of fun at the British dole system, when a con artist figures out how to deceive the social security office with imaginary tenants in his boarding house. But don’t be deceived – the plot is not for making any important points on current events or socialized subsistence pay programs. The plot is only a device to allow lots of door slamming, changing identities, light sexual innuendo, goofy puns and coincidental misunderstandings. Eric Swan (played by Kent Hadfield ) begins killing off his fictional tenants (death benefits, see?) and sparks the interest of Mr. Jenkins, a government inspector (W. Lee Daily). Swan’s wife Linda (Lacey Jackson) is unaware of his shell game, but is more concerned about finding a box of women’s wigs and stockings, and the possibility of her husband being a cross-dresser.
When the government inspector nearly meets one of the “deceased” tenants and Swan has to pretend to be another of the disabled renters, well, it almost takes a program to keep up with the players. Toss in a couple social workers and an mortician and the stew really gets crowded. The first scene of “Cash” started a bit slow on opening night – it almost took too long to set the table for what was to come. Jackson was a bit stiff and guarded but Hadfield proves to be a Jimmy Stewart-like everyman. He melds perfectly into a befuddled common man, who is just trying to get out of a predicament thrust upon him by the government.
Daily – a longtime OLRC favorite – bides his time before he gets a few shots of sherry into his character’s system and promptly takes over the production. The final few moments, including a rapid-fire rehearsal of all the shenanigans by Daily to his supervisor (Ms. Cowper, played by Keri Larsen) allow the actors to take ropes off and totally ham it up.
Also noteworthy is Jon McBride, playing a number of characters – some dead, some alive, some male, some female – who prances to and fro in perfect exasperation. “Cash” requires some fast-paced coordination between characters, with one actors’ dialogue falling right on top of the next. Only Jackson missed the mark, though no fault to her, as a couple of her lines were lost in audience laughter.
Projection was wonderful opening night. All actors were easy to hear, thanks, in part, to one of the characters supposedly being deaf and the resultant loud shouting.
The OLRC set looked a bit tired and was not up to normal high standards. Costuming and makeup, however, helped keep the production in the top drawer. And by the time the undertaker yells, “Stop that corpse!”, it’s likely your sides will indeed hurt.
“Cash on Delivery” plays in repertory with “Picnic,” “The Spitfire Grill” and “Member of the Wedding.” Caine Lyric Theater, 28 W. Center, Logan. 750-1500 for ticket information. Directed by Vosco Call. Running time: 2 hours 22 minutes, with one 10-minute intermission.