Kevin picks a perfect cast and comedy
View(s):- Cold Theatre 7 brings back Ray Cooney’s Run for Your Wife
By Yomal Senerath-Yapa
Chaos is unleashed when John Smith ends up mugged and in hospital, and wakes up to find that both his addresses have surfaced, and police in both Wimbledon and Streatham are contacting his two wives – so far safely kept counties – and worlds- apart…
Ray Cooney’s Run for Your Wife is back in Colombo, this time with a well-picked cast that promises to let the hilarity overflow and just let you giggle and roar (mostly the latter knowing Cooney) at the Wendt.
Known for his rambunctiously funny scripts and situations, Cooney seduced Kevin Cruze of Cold Theatre 7, seasoned director that he is, when he attended an Old Peterite Drama Circle production of Caught in the Net by the same playwright. “The audience was having so much fun there and the cast was having so much fun.”
Kevin had dates for a musical but not sufficient funds for something of that scale. So why not something that will ‘ne’er-go-wrong’ by the master of farce as a fundraiser for the musical?
Of course it was all short notice. Luckily, with his reputation in the drama world Kevin was able to get hold of the perfect cast. There were challenges too in that his only light-hearted comedy for Cold Theatre 7 was in 2018. “The cues are quick and you need comic timing,” but the “actors made it all easy.”
Things are heady as we meet the thespians during a rehearsal night. The charming Tharusha Kumarasinghe (with the perfect ‘mug’ for comedy- handsome but Wodehousian) is John Smith the bigamist-cab driver.
He is returning to comedy after a long time and this, Tharusha says, requires a lot of energy. “You have to be on your A-game all the time what with the fast cues.” The web of complicated lies his character weaves is really what causes the mirth, and there was the challenge of keeping track of all the lies.
Wasaam Ismail, the ‘senior’ member in the cast, plays Stanley Gardner, John’s neighbour. He was a member of the Old Peterite production of Caught in the Net which happens to be the prequel of this play playing the same character. He is sure the audiences will revel in the chaos and the innuendo as well. He adds that the play when previously staged by Mohamed Adamaly and Indu Dharmasena, was immensely enjoyed.
Amarsha Tissera plays Mary, John’s first wife. “She’s what any wife ten- fifteen years into the marriage would be,” laughs Amarsha, “set in her routine and very easily worried and irritated. Trying to channel that traditional wife in order to show differences between both wives was something I had to work on.”
The play’s attraction she says lies in how “when you think one thing has ended a new thing springs up from somewhere.”
As it is British comedy with lots of wit in the script, “if you are not paying attention you will miss it,” cautions Amarsha.
The second wife Barbara is played by Rachel Hamer in her first lead role. Barbara though young and fun goes through a ‘roller coaster’ of emotions and portraying her was challenging but fun. The play keeps the audience as well as the cast on their toes with something to look forward to. “The cast is talented and feeds off each other’s’ energy,” says Rachel.
Madura Wijeratne plays Sergeant Porterhouse. “You find a lot of Porterhouse-like characters in day-to-day life so it was easy to get into (the character).”
Nandun Dissanayake plays the very flamboyant and camp dressmaker Bobby Franklin- a character Nandun says was once also played by Jerome de Silva. He says he hasn’t done this kind of ‘parlour or bedroom comedy’ after doing ‘No Sex Please We’re British; in 2013. “The audience will enjoy the nonstop antics- there’s no breathing space- with one set after another and will be swept away by the craziness on the stage.”
Rehan Amaratunga plays Sergeant Troughton.
The play, only the second comedy by Kevin and Cold Theatre 7, promises to be a treat.
Run for Your Wife will go on the boards at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from August 21-24.
Tickets are available at the
Lionel Wendt box office
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