Cash on Delivery, a comedy from Driftwood Players, directed by Dave Hurtubise, opened last week at the Heritage Playhouse to a moderately full house and lots of laughter. It's silly. Wait - let me correct that. It's really silly. If you're a fan of British comedy and loved the old Benny Hill TV shows, this play by Michael Cooney has all the elements: jiggly bosoms, cross-dressing jokes, bumbling government inspectors and bottom pinching. Or if you simply need a good un-self-conscious belly laugh, you should catch the remaining performances. Farce is all about timing. The jokes and blunders fly fast and tight. Actors must be right on the spot to catch them. Some of the timing was off kilter at the show last Saturday night, particularly for the first 15 minutes. Lead actor Brian Harbison, who plays Eric, the scam artist, had trouble remembering his lines. Since he was drafted into this part a mere three weeks ago, some of his failings are excusable. His crackling energy level and his canny Scottish accent made up for it. As the play picked up speed, Kevin Crofton, playing the part of sympathetic doofus Norman, the tenant, displayed a very professional ability to move the action along and make us laugh. Ed Smith was also a delight. The poor man, playing Uncle George, a character in cahoots with Eric to scam a bit of money, was pummelled, pounded and heaped upside down in a garbage can, yet he kept on ticking. In fact, this was a solid cast of good performers - including Kim Drescher as Eric's wife, Berni Garrison as the timid "relationship arbitrator" and even Aja Hlatky, the woman who played an over agitated washing machine. (Now, how does that look on your acting resume?) Initially, this play had many problems in gathering momentum for the stage - lack of a producer, a lead and a set designer - but it was worth it. For a good time, try to drop in this weekend (on March 27) or on April 1, 2 and 3. Tickets for $12 are available at Coast Books, Talewind Books and Hallmark Cards.
