What if you fell in love with two people?  What if you love them both so much you threw caution to the wind and married them both?  What if they didn’t know about each other? What if you kept a detailed schedule so you could spend time with both, but what happens if an accident occurred?  What if you mixed up times and/or addresses?  Most people probably wouldn’t even find themselves in this situation, but playwright Ray Cooney, used real-life polygamous scandals from the 70’s and 80’s to create this “what if” scenario for a sneaky taxi driver in the hilariously written comedy, Run For Your Wife. 

A Wilde Theatre in Brighton, MI, is showcasing this classic British farce as part of its fifth production season, with only a few seats remaining July 26 and 27 with a sold-out show on the 28th.  Performances on August 3 and 4 were added due to the show’s popularity.

Run for Your Wife is a show that calls for precise comedic timing, with traditional farcical elements like timed door gags, phone calls, and physical comedy. Director  and A Wilde Theatre owner Lynn Wilde has brought the play to life with just the right amount of finesse.

Set designer Al Pelky has designed the small stage to showcase a large living room space, divided with distinct blue and pink color schemes, cleverly centered around a shared couch blending the same hues. The opening scene sets the tone as two women, Mary Smith (Lauren Olson) and another frantic woman, Barbara Smith (Elaine Reidel), each in night attire, unknowingly share the stage, mirroring chaotic domestic routines as if in separate apartments. This clever staging choice evolves throughout the play, culminating in a hilarious moment when both women simultaneously report their husband missing to the police, unaware they share the same spouse.  I’ve seen this play before and at first, I was disappointed that the set looked like it could be just one living room, but as the play began, I liked the choice in making the flow between the two apartments more cohesive.

The plot thickens as John Smith (Jackson Manning) is brought back to Mary’s apartment by Detective Sergeant Throughton (Mike Olsem) following an altercation while John Smith was injured during his night’s taxi work. The detective becomes increasingly confused by conflicting addresses provided by Mr. Smith, while nosy neighbor Stanley Gardner (Joe Gaskill) clumsily attempts to cover for his friend amidst mounting chaos. While trying to help, Stanley tries to cover up for his friend with one lie after another getting himself into more and more trouble. Gaskill keeps the audience laughing with his over-the-top characters and voices he creates trying to keep John Smith and himself out of jail!

With its motif of twos—two wives, two apartments, and two detectives—the play adds another layer of humor with the introduction of another upstairs neighbor, Bobby Franklyn (Garry Marshall),  an eccentric neighbor who disrupts critical moments with flamboyant flair. The only true Brit, Marshall’s portrayal adds an extra dose of hilarity and confusion, adding to the farcical nature of the play. Understudy Mark Gmazel will have big shoes to fill as he takes over the role during the third weekend. 

Overall, Run for Your Wife at A Wilde Theatre delivers an evening of uproarious entertainment,  blending physical comedy with sharp wit, making it an enjoyable evening in downtown Brighton. Be aware to get to the theater early; parking is a hot commodity in the small town. 

A Wilde Theatre, one of the newest professional theaters in Michigan, has just three productions left at their current venue. A Wilde Theatre originally started off sharing space inside the Brighton Coffeehouse and Theater in 2018, and moved to its own space in 2021 with the show “Weekend Comedy”. The theater is currently looking for a new space.