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“A tangled web I have woven…” Those were the haunting final words of George Quaye, who played the lead character Adjei Sowah, in Run For Your Wife.
Run For Your Wife, staged on Sunday in two sessions at 4pm and 8pm at the National Theatre as part of the 2025 Ghana Theatre Festival, had audience laughing and shaking their heads as one man’s attempt to juggle two wives unravelled in spectacular fashion.
The play is an adaptation of Ray Cooney’s famous farce which tells the story of a London taxi driver John Smith, a man juggling two secret lives with two unsuspecting wives in different parts of the city.
His carefully balanced routine unravels after a mugging lands him in hospital, setting off a chain of events that brings both wives and two suspicious detectives crashing into his world. What follows is a whirlwind of outrageous excuses and escalating lies as John scrambles to keep his double life from being exposed.
The Ghanaian version shifted the action to present-day Accra, with Adjei Sowah leading a double life between Cantonments and Labone. By day, he is an ordinary taxi driver, but by night, a husband to not one but two unsuspecting wives. His carefully constructed routine came crashing down after a mugging, a hospital visit and the meddling of two tough police detectives that forced both households into one chaotic mess.
The storyline had plenty of Ghanaian flavour. Everyday props and familiar neighbourhood settings gave the production a homely touch, while the dialogue, spiced with witty local banter made the characters feel real. Each lie Adjei told drew bigger roars of laughter and the audience could hardly keep up with his frantic cover-ups.
The cast delivered solid performances. George Quaye carried the high energy of the lead role with excellent comic timing. Naa Ashorkor as Mary Sowah gave a commanding, emotional performance, while second wife Naa Shormeh’s innocent yet suspicious charm balanced the dynamic perfectly.
Andrew Tandoh Adote as stern Sergeant Atipo is both intimidating and hilarious, while Arnold Asamoah Baidoo’s nosy reporter role added an extra layer of humour that the audience thoroughly enjoyed.
Costumes and set design reflects Accra’s middle-class homes, adding authenticity to the production. The chemistry between the actors also make the chaos on stage believable and the laughter in the auditorium proved just how engaging the performance was.
That said, not everything was flawless. The first half dragged a little, with some scenes stretching longer than necessary. A few jokes were over-repeated, losing their punch.
But these were small hitches in an otherwise solid production that kept the audience glued till the final curtain call.
