A wild ride at Class Act this fall

WHITBY -- Class Act Dinner Theatre's newest production really is a case of needing a program to sort out the characters.

And even with one, it's still tricky, said Mike Woodbridge, director of Michael Cooney's Cash on Delivery. The farce is filled with characters who take on one or more identities in order to help the main character, Eric Swan, who's trying to save his lucrative welfare scam.

"It's mayhem galore," Woodbridge said at a rehearsal. "There's quite a number of physical gags that take place. It's hilarious."

"Eric's become a con artist out of necessity. He was downsized out of his job and he doesn't know how to tell his wife," Woodbridge said.

So he doesn't. Instead, he starts cashing his tenant's government cheques when the fellow moves out. Then he invents new tenants and collects more cheques. When it gets a little much, he decides to "kill" them off, which actually brings more cheques and, eventually, government and social services types.

"Then it gets worse," Woodbridge said.

When signatures and proof are needed, Swan, who is pretending to be the first tenant, has to produce someone to play himself and a dead tenant. Then's there's his wife who walks in, believing Swan is a cross dresser, based on stolen hospital supplies his Uncle George has been stashing at Swan's home.

And that's the short version of the synopsis.

It might sound complicated, but it's non-stop laughs for the audience, Woodbridge said. Just keep your ears open, he said.

Starring are a host of Class Act regulars. Chris Cole is Eric Swan while Nancy Gleed is his wife, Linda. Jim Neilly is Norman McDonald, the original tenant who gets caught up in the confusion. Bill Baker is Mr. Jenkins, the government official. Jim Renshaw is Uncle George. Sally Charrington, a welfare worker, is played by Karen Brown. Lincoln Trudeau is Doctor Chapman, who has been counselling Linda Swan. Daniel Wyse is undertaker Mr. Forbright, and Karen Wiley is Norman's fiancee. Anita Romanelli is Miss Cowper, Mr. Jenkin's no-nonsense boss.

The play opens Sept. 12 and runs until Nov. 1. For reservation information, call 905-668-2229 or go to www.class-act.ca.