The ultimate tonic that set off the right mood for the weekend
When worlds collide: A tangled web on stage. Pic by Sameera Weerasekera
A Cooney play is a delightfully rollicking beast- whether written by the père (Ray) or junior (Michael). The father and son created some of the most farcical modern comedies of errors to be written in English.
Their formula may seem familiar- situations growing hilariously out of hand because of mistaken identities and subterfuges- but each Cooney- a piece of clean comedy- comes as unique as a Faberge egg.
Cash on Delivery, written by Michael in 1996- is side-splitting- but also casts a sardonic glance at Britain’s charity organizations- and jabs at psychology.
Jith Pieris, director, had decided to run the play on boards at the Lionel Wendt titled “Oops! It’s a cross-dresser”.
Eric Swan- unknown to his wife Linda- has been defrauding the Department of Social Security (DSS) by claiming benefits for an army of fictitious lodgers- all of them suffering from a variety of ailments for which they can claim.
The play begins as Eric finds his many claims getting knotty and complicated- and decides to kill off the ‘tenants’ in one sweep. The first call he makes is to inform the council that one of his creations has died. He is interrupted in this by his only real life lodger, Norman McDonald, who has no idea that Eric is claiming benefits in his name as well.
A few minutes later the DSS Inspector Mr. Jenkins comes round to see another one of the fictitious claimants- and everyone- the ten-strong cast- gets tangled in Eric’s web of deceit.
Of course, the whole thing hinges on the web of misunderstandings, double entendres and innuendo- and it’s not Shakespeare. The most intellectually impressive thing about the play may seem that Cooney keeps track of the tangled ball of lies and errors between the ten people (no small feat really).
Tautly timed, six doors slam open and close as ten people enter devastatingly not on cue- tumbling in like parallel worlds colliding.
Meth Dias Bandaranaike was the scheming Eric. Desperate as he gets piled with more and more charity money when he wants to terminate the fraud- with more lies leading to more mayhem- Meth was a hilarious crook trying to keep all his lies in the air.
Julian Anderson did a great performance as hugely likable Norman McDonald- the young tenant who out of honest good-heartedness is embroiled in the tumult with landlord and friend- having to play dead, deaf and a woman among other things.
Jehani Muthukuda, playing Mrs. Swan who fears her husband Eric is a transvestite, brings in a psychiatrist and the DSS of course brings in its long string of officials.
There’s a lot of women’s underwear in a hidden box, a psychiatrist convinced that Eric has a ‘mother fixation’ and is indulging in cross dressing and things more insidious with his Uncle George- an exploding washing machine and several ‘dead’ people with no bodies.
It was all neatly done- honest reputations hilariously torn to tatters, utter scandal and imbroglio- and when you feel it cannot get any worse- a happy climax. Jith had cast his spell- the ultimate TGIF tonic to ensure your weekend begins with the right mood.
Bowing to popular demand, Jith is planning to restage the play. If you missed the fiasco at the Swans’- keep a watch out for more mayhem coming soon.