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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Marriages can be funny things Run for your wife Sutton
Arts Theatre ***
Ray Cooney's
Run for Your Wife
is one of the most successful stage farces of modern times, guaranteed
to have an audience, and so it proved at a packed Sutton Arts Theatre. First
performed in 1983, producer Barrie Atchison presents it in contemporary
style, rather than as a period piece. So leg warmers are out, and
Charles and Camilla are in. The script is not without its
challenges for a modern production. The adult content is relatively
tame, but attitudes to homosexuality, which are key to much of the
humour, are very different now to thirty years ago. Back then, the memory of
Jeremy Thorpe's public ruination by homosexual
allegations was fresh, now, no government front bench can be without
gender, sexual and ethnic diversity. Thus the casual prejudices of
the past no longer have the same comic value. The failure of last year's
film version highlights the dangers, but under the skillful direction of
Atchison the carefully crafted comedy is polished and vibrant. The tale is of London cab
driver John Smith, with two wives, two lives, and a very precise
schedule for juggling them both. He has one wife at home in Streatham,
and another at home in Wimbledon, with occupants of the flat upstairs at
both locations. So the stage is set.
Trouble brews when Smith is
attacked, ending up in hospital. Both of his addresses surface, causing
both the Streatham and Wimbledon police to investigate. Having upset his
schedule, Smith becomes hopelessly entangled in his attempts, with his
unemployed neighbour upstairs in Wimbledon, to explain himself to his
wives, two suspicious police officers, and a gay couple upstairs in
Streatham to confuse matters. The split single set works
well offering a comedic potential which is fully realised. Richard Cogzel plays bigamist
John Smith as a confused, bemused, wide-eyed observer of his own
downfall, powerless to prevent events conspiring as his increasingly
desperate explanations founder. His two wives are a nice
contrast. Rachel Duncan plays Mary, whose solution to most things is in
the kitchen; Lin Tran plays Barbera, whose solution to most things is in
the bedroom. The former favours sensible non-matching underwear, the
latter sports stockings, suspenders and vertiginous red high heels. Duncan’s quiet hysteria is
well pitched and amusing, Tran's sassy sex
appeal is wholly convincing. Neighbour and unwitting accomplice Stanley
Gardener is well handled by Dave Douglas as he is transformed from
louche layabout to reluctant gay consort. Trying to make sense of the
confusion are two detectives who offer the best performances of the
night. Dan Payne's bluff and incredulous DS
Troughton is a delight, Stuart Goodwin's well
intentioned, but not so worldly-wise DS Porterhouse, is the perfect
foil. Richard Hamm has the difficult
task of playing Bobby Franklin, the gay neighbour. Steeped in caricature
drafted in another era. Hamm chooses a Louis Spence style persona whose
rough edges are smoothed by the energy and brio of his performance. Farces require plenty of
movement, lots of doors opening and closing, and plenty of physical
comedy. Atchison's production delivers this in
some style. Although the first half of the night took a little while to
warm up, by the end, the laughter was constant, clothes were off and a
brilliantly handled confessional finale with all protagonists on stage
was a satisfying end to a very enjoyable night. To 15-02-14 Gary Longden |
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