“CASH ON DELIVERY,” through Feb. 4, Hale Center Theater Orem, 225 W. 400 North, Orem (801-226-8600 or haletheater.org); running time: 2 hours 10 minutes (one intermission)
OREM — Will watching “Cash on Delivery” give you anxiety? Yes, but in a good way.
Will it seem like you’re witnessing a bad dream that keeps getting stranger? Yes, but in a good way.
Is it absurd, unrealistic and at times completely ridiculous? Yes, but in a good way.
Despite a myriad of cringe-worthy moments, is it hilarious? Yes. And, of course, in a good way.
The farce is with the cast and crew of Hale Center Theater Orem’s latest comedy, which runs through Feb. 4. The plot focuses on Eric Swann, played by Greg Hansen, who was laid off two years ago and still hasn’t told his wife. He has been duping the British welfare system by claiming that numerous tenants — some real and some not so much — in his apartment building have all sorts of situations that garner government gifts.
The counterfeiter finds himself in a pickle when an inspector from the department over social security, sickness and disability shows up. Mr. Jenkins needs a couple of signatures, including one from a former tenant whose unforwarded social security check started Eric on his shady scam.
That’s when the craziness begins.
As twisted as the story is, the performance is easy to follow. The play itself starts a little slow as the characters set the stage for an onslaught of inside jokes but after the first 30 minutes, the giggles cascade into a stream of laughs. The bulk of the fun comes from mistaken identities, twisted puns, double entendres and utter silliness.
Daniel Fenton Anderson brilliantly plays Eric’s only real-life tenant, Norman McDonald, a naive and endearing shoe salesman who gets roped into Eric’s lies and, eventually, the stash of women’s clothes the government has sent.
As Eric, the show’s super duper, Hansen spews out lies at lightning speed (some of which are pure genius and others that are more on a toddler’s level) and transforms himself into different personas who have a variety of issues — from gout to Tourette’s — to appease the authorities and delight the audience.
Eric’s wife, Linda, played by Greg Hansen's real-life wife, Rachel Woodward Hansen, becomes suspicious when she finds the women’s clothes and drags a therapist into the mix for some couples counseling.
When one door closes another one opens and in “Cash on Delivery,” there are more entries and exits than an advent calendar, the best of which involves a corpse on a stretcher. There’s also an undertaker, a supervisor, a crazy uncle and a confused fiancée running in and out of the Swann’s home throughout the show.
As the wild ride comes to an end, it seems unlikely that Eric will ever fix the tangled web he’s created, but like any worthwhile comedy, its conclusion is shockingly simple.
In a good way, of course.
Content advisory: “Cash on Delivery” contains mild cursing, including the British term “bloody,” and mild sexual innuendo, including references to transvestites and cross-dressing.
Emily Edmonds is an online communications instructor for BYU-Idaho. She is the former editor of BYU's Marriott Alumni Magazine. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's in mass communications from BYU.