Run For Your Wife
Encyclopedia
Run For Your Wife is an adult comedy play
by Ray Cooney
.
cab driver John Smith, with two wives, two lives and a very precise schedule for juggling them both. With one wife at home in Streatham
and another at home in Wimbledon
, and with occupants of the flat upstairs at the latter location.
Trouble brews when Smith is mugged and ends up in hospital, where 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 lazy layabout neighbour upstairs in Wimbledon, to explain himself to his wives and two suspicious police officers.
Bernard Cribbins
took the lead role in the West End theatre
debut of the play, on 12 December 1983 at the Criterion Theatre
. Kate O'Sullivan
also featured in the stage version
A film of the play is currently (August 2011) in production in London.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Ray Cooney
Ray Cooney
Raymond George Alfred Cooney, OBE is an English playwright and actor. His biggest success, Run for Your Wife, lasted nine years in London's West End and is its longest-running comedy. He has had 17 of his plays performed there....
.
Plot
The story of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
cab driver John Smith, with two wives, two lives and a very precise schedule for juggling them both. With one wife at home in Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and another at home in Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, and with occupants of the flat upstairs at the latter location.
Trouble brews when Smith is mugged and ends up in hospital, where 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 lazy layabout neighbour upstairs in Wimbledon, to explain himself to his wives and two suspicious police officers.
Production
Cast members have a precise schedule as well with many entrances and exits that create pressure and humor through this adult comedy.Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
took the lead role in the West End theatre
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
debut of the play, on 12 December 1983 at the Criterion Theatre
Criterion Theatre
The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has an official capacity of 588.-Building the theatre:...
. Kate O'Sullivan
Kate O'Sullivan
Kate O'Sullivan is a British actress, singer, voiceover artist and impressionist.A graduate of Drama Centre London , she was taught by Yat Malmgren and Christopher Fettes.- Theatre :...
also featured in the stage version
A film of the play is currently (August 2011) in production in London.