It seems only fitting that The Mill's auditorium, named the Ray Cooney Theatre, provides a home for his son Michael Cooney's Cash on Delivery. The question is whether he has inherited his father's flair for multi-layered, fast-paced farce — and the answer is a resounding yes.
The premise is simple: Eric Swan (Steve Pinder), attempting to end a two-year run of benefit fraud, decides to “kill off” his fictitious unemployed tenant — only to trigger yet another wave of unwanted benefits. What follows is a frantic attempt to contain the fallout, as Eric spins an ever more elaborate web of lies.
Act One introduces the full extent of Swan's fraudulent claims, complicated by the timely arrival of benefit assessor Mr Jenkins (Harry Gostelow). Forced into confession, Eric secures the reluctant help of his real lodger Norman Bassett (James Bradshaw) and the already complicit Uncle George (Michael Shaw). Matters spiral further with the arrival of an overly sympathetic bereavement counsellor (Melanie Gutteridge), an undertaker (Titus Rowe), a concerned wife Linda (Natasha Gray), and a doctor (Oscar Cleaver) summoned to address Mrs Swan's growing fears about her husband's sanity.
Act Two deepens the deception into a near Rubik's Cube of a plot. The pace accelerates as Norman's fiancée (Rachel Fielding), a faulty washing machine, and Mr Jenkins' formidable supervisor Ms Cowper (Felicity Duncan) push the charade towards its chaotic climax.
No farce would be complete without doors, and Alex Marker's set design provides them in abundance. The Mill's flexible auditorium balances intimacy with the feel of a traditional proscenium staging. Lighting by Graham Weymouth is clean and effective throughout.
Michael Cooney's script delivers sharply defined characters, realised by strong performances across the cast and complemented by Natalie Titchener's costumes. With ten actors and a relentlessly fast-moving script, this production could easily unravel in less assured hands. Under the skilful direction of Ron Aldridge, however, the action is tightly controlled, guiding both cast and audience through the maze of deception to a satisfying conclusion.
The audience responds with sustained laughter from the opening minutes to the final curtain, reacting both to the verbal wit and the well-executed physical comedy. While the ensemble is uniformly strong, James Bradshaw's multiple guises impress, Rachel Fielding brings infectious energy as Sally Chessington, and Felicity Duncan commands the stage as the formidable Ms Cowper.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable production and, like a good red wine, it only promises to improve as the run continues.
It runs until 4 April.
Review: Claire Hogan Photos: Carla Joy Evans