“Run For Your Wife” by Burton Joyce Players
Burton Joyce & Bulcote Village Hall

The story, written by Ray Cooney, concerns bigamist John Smith, a London cab driver with two wives, two lives and a very precisely planned schedule for juggling them both, with one wife at a home in Streatham and another nearby at a home in Wimbledon.

Trouble brews when Smith helps an elderly woman who is being mugged and ends up in hospital, where both of his addresses surface, causing both the Streatham and Wimbledon police to investigate the case. His careful schedule upset, Smith becomes hopelessly entangled in his attempts to explain himself to his two wives and two suspicious police officers, with help from his lazy layabout neighbour upstairs in Wimbledon.

This is the best production I have seen from Burton Joyce Players, and showed off the cast's brilliant comic timing, which is what makes a farce a success. And this show was a roaring success.

Even before I got into the Village Hall, the poster outside stated that it was SOLD OUT; I have never seen so many people in that hall as I did on Friday night, and even before the play started, more chairs were being placed at the back.

Everything about this production was just right, The wonderful set, designed by Patrick McDonough, Roger Harwood and Deborah Craddock, allowing both of the Smiths' homes to criss cross to the split second timing of the script and the comedy. And then of course there is the brilliant script by Ray Cooney

Directed by Deborah Craddock, I don't think there is anything else she could have done to make this a perfect farce; it's certainly one of the best farces I've seen for a long time. The laughter was full gales of laughter, not sniggers, not chuckles, but full on gales of laughter.

Patrick McDonough (John Smith) was amazing as the man with two lives, as well as two wives. His pace was swift as Smith is forced to think on his feet, which only meant that he was digging bigger holes for himself. Patrick's energy levels were well up there, and he played an absolute blinder in this, the best role I've had the pleasure of seeing him play.

Kathy Matthews (Mary Smith) and Jane Murray (Barbara Smith) played the two wives. Both feisty characters who at stages of the play, with it being a farce, had to appear in stages of semi undressed states. Both ladies looked very comfortable in their roles, and you could see the fun they were having.

Christopher Mercer (Stanley Gardner) played the upstairs neighbour who while trying to get Smith out of the pickle he had found himself in, managed to get embroiled in a very funny menage a .... well however many he was menaging with according to Smith. As always, Chris' comedy timing and delivery shone through visually, physically and through some brilliant comic lines.

Adam Miller (DS Troughton) was the tough cop who managed to uncover the whole bigamy plot. I loved seeing Adam play the straight man who delivered some great one liners as part of his role.

David Matthews (DS Porterhouse) played the other police man, who we also saw in a different light in Act Two as he tried his best to help everyone out of the sticky situation which gradually got ever more sticky.

John Uttley (Bobby Franklin) I have seen echoes of John's previous Damedom in panto in this character, and as the overtly camp character from upstairs, John was an absolute scream. Some of his facial expressions were classic Dame, and like the rest of the cast, his comic timing was as sharp as a new pin.

Completing the cast, as a cameo role, was Molly Fitches as a reporter.

The script, as I have said is a complete classic where farce, double entendre, and comedy theatre is concerned, and even though there were some lengthy speeches from some of the cast, it was delivered word perfect There was even an insertion of topical political humour.

The slickness of this production shows the hard work that has been put in by everyone concerned, because the results spoke for themselves in a standing ovation and very healthy ticket sales.

Sound and Light for this production was by Steve Armstrong and Jenny Cowan, and like the cast, their timing was spot on.

“Run For Your Wife” is at Burton Joyce & Bulcote Village Hall until Saturday 26 October, so run for the tickets, take your wife and have the best of nights out with this incredible cast.