“Mother, what a story – oh, my goodness!” This is the opening line of a new production of ‘Father Caught in the Net’ which has been staged by the Ashgabat-based ArtIst Theater. It is based on the comedy play ‘Run for Your Wife’ by the English playwright Ray Cooney.
The main character, taxi driver John Smith (played by Igor Annaklychev) is a ‘good’ family man, who is leading a double life. He has two wives: Mary and Barbara, living not far from one another… But John’s settled lifestyle is threatened by an incident, and he finds himself trapped in a vortex of unexpected circumstances and a web of lies and absurdity.
Unlike the original play where the action takes place in the 1980s, the ArtIst Theater’s adaptation is set in modern times. John Smith’s children from different marriages: Vicki (Anush Potarak) and Gavin (Sergey Paimov) happen to meet through social media. The teenagers are amazed at the funny coincidences concerning their respective fathers: both are taxi drivers; both are the same age; and both are called John Smith.
They tell their parents that they are determined to see each other in person and introduce one another to their families, but John, for obvious reasons, makes every attempt to keep them apart. Having shifted the responsibility onto his lodger Stanley Pony (Vasily Andronov), the desperate bigamist tries to stop his children’s communication.
– I have long wanted to stage the play that boasts an impressive array of characters and witty plot full of subtle humor perfectly comprehensible to different generations of audiences, Igor Annaklychev, the production’s director, said in a conversation.
The actors had experimented much with the settings for the play and finally decided to choose the ‘British variant’. The set design transports the audience to England: the red telephone box, maps of London and double-deckers.
What also sets the production apart is the participation of the boy band Stolichnaya. This helps to set the mood and atmosphere. The soundtrack for the play includes hit songs by The Beatles. The characters dance to ‘Yellow Submarine’ and get out of tricky situations.
– Our band has been in existence for 10 years, but this is the first time we have collaborated with the Theater. It has been an interesting and rewarding experience, band leader Eldar Muzafarov said. Songs by The Beatles have long been part of our repertoire and we got fascinated with the idea of providing background music for the production.
The story of the father and his friend trying to get themselves out of the absurd situations was warmly received by the audience. The atmosphere in the auditorium was charged with positive emotions and excitement. The production has delighted members of the audience and got off to a great start …
Svetlana CHIRTSOVA
Photo: Yuri SHKURIN
