Cash on Delivery

Audlem Theatre Company were back on stage with their production of Michael Cooney’s ‘Cash on Delivery’, which was directed by Sarah Shillito. The set was the living room of the Swan residence, with a number of doors leading to other parts of the house. The set was well constructed on the whole. The door downstage right did get stuck on a couple of occasions, but the cast handled this setback well. Directing a farce is difficult, especially with the constant comings and goings. The stage at Audlem Public Hall is small, and Sarah had orchestrated the various entrances and exits well. The pace of farces needs to be rapid-fire. Unfortunately, there were lots of prompts during this performance, which meant the pace fell flat. It felt like this production could have benefitted from some more rehearsal time to work on lines. Costumes were modern dress and worked well for each character.

Technical elements were appropriate for this production. With it being set in one location for the entirety, a basic wash was used, but nothing else was needed. Sound was good throughout and cued on time.

Trevor Hough played Eric Swan. Trevor worked hard throughout trying to keep the production together. There were moments where Trevor was secure in his lines, and you could see why he had been cast. He brought a charm to the role.

Paul Cass did well as Norman Bassett. This was one of the stronger performances in the production, and Paul seemed secure in his lines. The line delivery did seem to be very one note, so have a look at some variance in your delivery.

Helen Katterloher played Linda Swan. Helen did well in this role. Her breakdown was well managed, as she found out about the various things happening. There was a good partnership created between Helen and Trevor.

Amelia Payne played Dr Chapman. This was a lovely cameo performance from Amelia, as the put down upon doctor. The refrains of ‘sit down’ as she tried to get involved were funny, as were Amelia’s reactions.

David Davenport played Mr Jenkins. David did well in this role, and the moments where he got more and more drunk were very funny.

John Dixon played Uncle George. John put in a good performance as Uncle George, adding humour to proceedings. He did well in the over-the-top chase scene near the conclusion of the production.

Lou Ryan played Sally Chessington. Lou commanded the stage as soon as she entered, and was line assured. This was a good supporting performance.

Laurence Shillito played Mr Forbright. Laurence’s demeanour really suited this character as the undertaker who has become embroiled into the crazy situation.

Ellie O’Grady played Brenda Dixon. This was a sincere performance from Ellie, entering late on in proceedings. There was a nice rapport built with Paul.

Emma Richardson played Ms Cowper. Emma gave Ms Cowper a formidable presence, which totally worked for the character. She is definitely someone not to mess with!

Overall, this was a production full of potential. The audience certainly enjoyed it, there were some nice characterisations, and the direction was appropriate for the small stage.

A big thank you to everyone at Audlem Theatre Company for their kind invite and the lovely cream tea.

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