'RUN FOR YOUR WIFE' - ALMOST DIDN'T!
It nearly didn’t happen. After months of planning and preparation, a lead actor was forced by a family crisis to pull out of Crieff Drama Group’s latest production with just three weeks to curtain up. Director Mike Owens stepped into the breach only to be plagued with an eye infection which made reading impossible.
However, the members of Crieff Drama Group thrive on a challenge and, in true ‘the show must go on’ tradition, the cast and crew rallied to produce an excellent version of Ray Cooney’s ‘Run for Your Wife’. This rollicking farce charts the unravelling of John Smith’s double life. John, a taxi driver, has two homes and two wives, Mary and Barbara. When John receives a blow to the head trying to help an old lady being mugged, he gives one address to the police and the other to the hospital. What follows is a riot of confusion, misunderstanding and lies which become ever more elaborate and ridiculous and the result is very funny.
The staging is complex with the action taking place in both of John’s flats simultaneously and credit must go to Paul Kelly, Colin Morrison, Linda Russell and the team for an excellent set.
As always with Crieff Drama Group, the cast was excellent. Helen Day and Kate Beauchamp were both very convincing as John’s concerned and confused wives. These two roles are key in keeping the audience on track with the action and each played their part with a confidence that gave the audience a genuine sense of security.
The role of the upstairs neighbour who finds himself John’s reluctant conspirator was ably and affably played by Neil Combe. As the only other character who knows the whole truth, Stanley Gardner is forced to play a host of different roles – a farmer, John’s namesake and John’s gay lover – in an effort to keep John’s secret intact.
The drama involves two police officers detailed to unravel the mystery. The first was played by Linda Gray making a welcome return to the Drama Group fold after a long absence. It was great to see her back on stage, playing the part of the suspicious, and slightly menacing, DS Troughton with conviction. The other police officer was a much softer character. At one stage DS Porterhouse even finds himself in the kitchen making tea. Tom Inglis was perfectly cast as this avuncular character – and he looks very fetching in a pinny.
It’s always a delight when Gordon CAMPbell appears on stage. I use the capitals advisedly because Gordon was gloriously camp in his fluorescent pink shirt as the other upstairs neighbour who’s just moved in with his Cyril, adding an extra layer of hilarity to the proceedings.
A small cameo by Carolyn McKeggie as the reporter who photographs mugging hero John with Mary for the front page of the Evening Standard, precipitates two amusing scenes in which Neil displayed his skill at paper tearing and Mike ate several strips of newsprint in an attempt to prevent the truth from escaping.
All credit to the cast who adapted seamlessly to a change of lead actor but particular recognition must go to Mike who directed a first class production as well as undertaking a very demanding role with his usual professional enthusiasm. The opening night audience may have been small by CDG’s usual standards but plenty of laughter attested to their appreciation.
Well done to the cast and crew and I’m sure I’m not alone in looking forward to the next production.
Fiona Murchie
However, the members of Crieff Drama Group thrive on a challenge and, in true ‘the show must go on’ tradition, the cast and crew rallied to produce an excellent version of Ray Cooney’s ‘Run for Your Wife’. This rollicking farce charts the unravelling of John Smith’s double life. John, a taxi driver, has two homes and two wives, Mary and Barbara. When John receives a blow to the head trying to help an old lady being mugged, he gives one address to the police and the other to the hospital. What follows is a riot of confusion, misunderstanding and lies which become ever more elaborate and ridiculous and the result is very funny.
The staging is complex with the action taking place in both of John’s flats simultaneously and credit must go to Paul Kelly, Colin Morrison, Linda Russell and the team for an excellent set.
As always with Crieff Drama Group, the cast was excellent. Helen Day and Kate Beauchamp were both very convincing as John’s concerned and confused wives. These two roles are key in keeping the audience on track with the action and each played their part with a confidence that gave the audience a genuine sense of security.
The role of the upstairs neighbour who finds himself John’s reluctant conspirator was ably and affably played by Neil Combe. As the only other character who knows the whole truth, Stanley Gardner is forced to play a host of different roles – a farmer, John’s namesake and John’s gay lover – in an effort to keep John’s secret intact.
The drama involves two police officers detailed to unravel the mystery. The first was played by Linda Gray making a welcome return to the Drama Group fold after a long absence. It was great to see her back on stage, playing the part of the suspicious, and slightly menacing, DS Troughton with conviction. The other police officer was a much softer character. At one stage DS Porterhouse even finds himself in the kitchen making tea. Tom Inglis was perfectly cast as this avuncular character – and he looks very fetching in a pinny.
It’s always a delight when Gordon CAMPbell appears on stage. I use the capitals advisedly because Gordon was gloriously camp in his fluorescent pink shirt as the other upstairs neighbour who’s just moved in with his Cyril, adding an extra layer of hilarity to the proceedings.
A small cameo by Carolyn McKeggie as the reporter who photographs mugging hero John with Mary for the front page of the Evening Standard, precipitates two amusing scenes in which Neil displayed his skill at paper tearing and Mike ate several strips of newsprint in an attempt to prevent the truth from escaping.
All credit to the cast who adapted seamlessly to a change of lead actor but particular recognition must go to Mike who directed a first class production as well as undertaking a very demanding role with his usual professional enthusiasm. The opening night audience may have been small by CDG’s usual standards but plenty of laughter attested to their appreciation.
Well done to the cast and crew and I’m sure I’m not alone in looking forward to the next production.
Fiona Murchie
