Cash on Delivery

Henry Lawson Theatre

21^st Century theatre is a wonderfully complex and challenging space as both professional and amateur productions embrace technology and pursue the “new”. However, there’s something truly special about watching a tight-knit ensemble cast deliver a fast-paced, witty script on a single set, bringing to life a delightfully entertaining classic British farce. Tech is great, but fearless performers with airtight timing is where you will find the real magic. Henry Lawson Theatre’s production of Cash on Delivery, directed by Ian Fletcher, was a beautiful reminder of this simple truth.

Cash on Delivery follows Eric Swan, a man who has been fraudulently claiming welfare benefits for a wide array of imaginary lodgers, collecting quite a profit. When an inspector from the Department of Social Security arrives to investigate, Eric’s mountain of lies begins to topple spectacularly. What follows is a whirlwind of mistaken identities, fabricated deaths, unplanned disguises, suspicious visitors, and a rapidly growing web that Eric desperately tries to hold together. With every door that opens, the situation becomes more absurd, more tangled, and ever more hilarious. By the end, nearly every character is inadvertently complicit in Eric’s wrongdoing, though very few actually understand how they got there.

Photo credit: Jacqueline Felangue

Elliot Prophet, playing Eric, anchored the chaos with tremendous skill. His wild-eyed panic, breathless improvisations, and frantic energy were a joy to watch. Yet beneath the absurdity, he kept Eric strangely likeable, which was no mean feat considering the scale of his character’s deceit and manipulation.

Central to the success of Eric’s scheme is the character of Norman, the partnership between the two forms the comedic engine of the show. Lesh Satchithananda brought Norman to life perfectly. He was a standout in this production, capturing Norman’s bewildered innocence and escalating anxiety so well that the audience erupted at his every move. Every line and expression was delivered with perfect comic timing and the physical comedy was a definite highlight.

On the subject of physical comedy, I have to give a shout out to Mark Prophet for his portrayal of Uncle George. This is a gift of a character, so well written and, clearly, an incredibly fun role to play and Mark Prophet did it brilliantly. Every entrance from Uncle George was hilarious and heightened the mayhem of the narrative in all the right ways.

Darren Gibson brought a delightful blend of officiousness and obliviousness to the role of Mr Jenkins the Social Security Inspector. Kayla Austin was a formidable force as the panicked Linda Swan and Nicole Smith was simply delightful as the compassionate and keen-to-help Sally Chessington. These talented performers met the challenge of presenting classic British comedy tropes with true style and skill.

Photo credit: Jacqueline Felangue

Aurel Vasilescu (Doctor Chapman), Ken Fletcher (Mr Forbright), Rebecca Fletcher (Brenda) and Rhonda Hancock (Ms Cowper) performed their supporting roles with admirable commitment. Again, comic timing was perfectly on point and, despite their limited stage time, each won over the audience from the second they entered the stage.

Photo credit: Jacqueline Felangue

This show’s pacing was tight, exactly what a classic British comedic farce needs, and the set, complete with multiple doors (each practically a character of its own) made clever use of the limited space. Costumes and props were thoughtfully chosen and supported the escalating ridiculousness of the narrative perfectly. Congratulations to the entire production team!

This is a funny production presented by a talented and committed cast - it is definitely worth a look!

21st Nov - 29th Nov

The Henry Lawson Theatre

https://www.trybooking.com/DAWPR