Recently, I had the opportunity to watch Run for Your Wife, a comedy play written by Ray Cooney and directed by Paul Jameson. The production was presented by St Joseph’s Players at St Joseph’s Hall, running from July 16th to 20th. The play promised, and delivered, a funny, frenzied, and fast-paced experience that kept the audience laughing throughout.

I admit I knew little about the history of St Joseph’s Players, a production company run entirely by volunteers, until I came across a Facebook post urging the local community to help save the historic St Joseph’s Hall. Located in the heart of Leigh, St Joseph’s Hall has been a community hub since 1925, hosting weekly dances, drama festivals, school shows, and family celebrations. Remarkably, St Joseph’s Players is one of the oldest theatre production companies in the world, having been founded in 1850.

This rich history was threatened during the COVID pandemic, which rendered St Joseph’s Church no longer viable to keep open. Additionally, the pandemic led to damage from rainwater entering the building in several places, causing mould, dampness, and crumbling plaster. The society is crowdfunding with a target of £100,000 to repair the damage, make the building watertight, and to restore St Joseph’s Hall to its central role in the community.

Run for Your Wife is a play that humorously tackles the scandalous themes of bigamy, lies, and deceit in a lively and energetic way. The plot follows taxi driver John Smith (played by Wayne), who finds himself in a chaotic predicament when his secret life with two wives spirals out of control. The absurd web of lies surrounding his marriages to Barbara Smith (played by Sarah), who lives in Preckham, and Mary Smith (played by Kay), who lives in Wimbledon, adds to both John’s and the audience’s confusion, heightening the comedic effect.

Upon entering the hall, I was amazed by how lively and bustling it was, filled with the local community eager to support the St Joseph’s Players and enjoy the play. I was greeted by friendly and welcoming staff, all with bright smiles, ready to assist the audience with everything from tickets, food, and drinks to the all-important task of locating the toilets (not that I needed help!). There was a bar where guests could purchase their favourite drinks to enjoy during the show, along with the essential Leigh treats—pasties and sausage rolls!

The play opened with both of John Smith’s unsuspecting wives answering the phone, unaware of each other. Their confusion and overlapping conversations immediately set the stage for the chaos that John’s double life would unleash. I especially loved how the set was cleverly split to mirror the two homes, allowing the audience to simultaneously see what Barbara and Mary were doing in the same time frame. This added a heightened sense of the havoc John Smith had created simply by having two wives!

I particularly enjoyed the roles of the detectives in the play, who were unwittingly ensnared in John Smith’s web of outrageous lies. Detective Troughton stood out with his no-nonsense, by-the-book approach, which led him to discover that in John Smith’s world, two plus two doesn’t equal four, but five. John’s inability to explain how he ended up in his accident, coupled with his claim of memory loss, only deepens the confusion. As the play progresses, his increasingly absurd lies—ranging from being Stanley’s boyfriend to spending the night working on a farm—begin to unravel, catching up with him in hilarious ways. Meanwhile, Detective Porterhouse (played by Ciaran) added a contrasting touch with his caring nature and unwavering trust in people’s goodness, which often landed him in bemusing situations.

A character who elicited great sympathy from the audience, including myself, was Stanley Gardener (played by Joe), Mary’s neighbour, who gets unwittingly entangled in John’s deceit. Stanley is brash, funny, and lazy—a perfect combination for an innocent bystander (or so we’re led to believe) who finds himself caught up in the chaos. From keeping track of John’s lies to playing along as his secret lover, Stanley has a lot to juggle. Yet, he embraces the chaos, leading the audience through a series of laughs while also trying, albeit confusedly, to encourage the truth to come out.

I truly enjoyed the play, laughing a lot and occasionally struggling to keep up with the craziness of the plot. St Joseph’s Players are keeping the arts alive by bringing fantastic productions to the heart of Leigh. As they approach their 100-year anniversary next year, they are working hard to save the hall and restore it as the heart of the community, ensuring it remains a vibrant cultural space. Please check out their socials and crowd-funder links below, and if you can, consider donating—every penny makes a difference.

Please check out their social media and crowdfunding links below:

St Joseph’s Players Social Media and Crowd-funding links:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Crowdfunder
• Website