Set in a prosperous woollen town in Yorkshire's West Riding, 'When We Are Married' is a comedy which has stood the test of time relatively well. Now a septuagenarian, it's as much a historical piece as a comedy, but it's also one of those plays that has actors fighting for parts because of the richness of the characters, and the riches to be found in Priestley's unique concept and nimble dialogue. This fine ensemble make the most of every moment. Maureen Lipman as Clara Soppitt employs her exceptional comic timing to great effect as her mousey husband (Sam Kelly) suddenly finds his voice and exerts his authority. Simon Rouse's bombastic Councillor Parker has to rethink his marital stance as his initially meek wife Annie (Michele Dotrice) bluntly tells him that he's not only "pompous, dull and stingy" but also "very, very dreary". And David Horovitch's Alderman Helliwell finds his temper strained as his better half Maria (played by Susie Blake) threatens to leave him and the drudgery she endures in running the household. This comedy is one of those delightful Who's Who of British Theatre productions that doesn't put a foot wrong. Written in 1938 by one of Britains best playwrights, JB Priestly, it is set in Northern England, 1908, where the theme of the story would indeed have made the participants social pariahs and bywords. Three couples are celebrating their combined 25th wedding anniversaries when they receive news of such calamity, such misfortune, such...well I shan't spoil the surprise, just try and watch it if you can. The story centres around solving what seems at first to be unsolvable.

For the rest...music ….no I am sorry it didn’t catch my attention ...no rewatch value either….cuz the first watch also feels like rewatch ...lolWhat's new? there's accidental kisses (too many of them), wrist grabs with long pause, constantly looking at each other moments (and me be like "Let's skip 30 sec" the same thing is still going on "Oh no! Let's skip more………" ) and ta-da this is how they fell in love, a bitch yet Beautiful looking 2nd female lead who plans obstacles, then ML saving FL like some superhero, the good 2nd male lead (who will never get the girl **actually sad for him** )… again what's new!?

What would you do if you discovered after 25 years of marriage that your wedding had never been officially sanctioned? In other words, you'd never been married at all? Well, that might not matter so much, perhaps, if you were living in our modern liberal times. But in 1908 such a matter could well have been a public scandal of monumental significance, opening the floodgates to public derision and humiliation. Hope you enjoy watching ...cuz I did too ...for I knew what to expect ….and this became a good watch ! I suspect that this revival is most likely to be appreciated by those of a certain age. Though it is dated in terms of the societal values it portrays, there's also much which feels modern, especially in terms of role reversal. But it is a rather 'northern' play in terms of both the style of humour and some of the linguistic niceties. For example, I don't hear many people in London describing an argument as 'fratching', even though it is correctly listed in the dictionary. So I'm not sure that West End audiences will fully appreciate the nuances in Priestly's well-observed description. Still, it has endearing charm, great characters and more than enough humour to make for a good night out. There isn't a dud performance in the ranks and this venerable play still delivers the comic goods with engaging panache."Priestley, J. B. (1938). When We Are Married: A Yorkshire Farcical Comedy (French's actinged.). London: Samuel French. ISBN 0-573-01476-0. the villain here or 2nd female lead ~ doesn't gives a damn about her own life, has no self respect & just wants ML anyhow so she keeps pestering him even after he rejects her with insults… she is evil af… I wanted to shout at her. "Girl, wake up. He is married. He jumps around with his wife, praising her & what not. So please open your eyes. Move on. You are pretty, rich & talented. You deserve better." Oh! but she wants to be villain after all… The hosts of the party are Alderman Joseph Helliwell (Mark Stratton) and Maria Helliwell (Geraldine Fitzgerald), and the third couple is the Soppitts – submissive Herbert (Steve Huison) and the dictatorial Clara (Kate Anthony). After the war Priestley continued his writing, and his work invariably provoked thought, and his views were always expressed in his blunt Yorkshire style.

In J B Priestley's play of 1938, three couples who were married on the same day, at the same church are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversaries. The couples have positions in society and a public image to maintain. The husbands are leading members of the local non-conformist chapel and two them have seats on the local council. The celebrations seem to be going well until the husbands discover to their horror that the minister who married them did not have the appropriate legal qualifications. Given their standing in the local community, the couples initially want to keep the whole business hushed-up. But as events unfold, some of the individuals involved see a chance to escape from relationships that have been rather less than true marital bliss.

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The film is a screen version of the 1938 stage play by J. B. Priestley, in which three Edwardian era Yorkshire couples, who were all married on the same day 25 years earlier, gather to celebrate their joint silver wedding anniversary, only to be told that due to a legal technicality, their marriages were not valid and that for the past quarter-century they have all effectively been living in sin. Some react with horror at potential scandal, while others glimpse the possibility of freedom from a deadbeat spouse, or regret potential loves that got away after they were "married". Much drama ensues as the couples each re-evaluate their respective marriages, but after grievances have been aired and new understandings forged, all ends happily. The Monthly Film Bulletin, known for its exacting standards, complimented the film as "an exceedingly amusing, if somewhat unkind, picture of a Yorkshire chapel-going fraternity...under the skilful direction of Lance Comfort all the cast bring the characters to life". [2] Cast [ edit ]

There's also excellent support from Jodie McNee as the chirpy maid from Rotherham; Lynda Baron as the cook/ housekeeper who listens at keyholes and treats her employers with open contempt; and Roy Hudd is photographer Henry Ormonroyd who has more interest in alcohol than taking snaps. Have realistic hopes and the show delivers well …hope for misunderstandings ...hope for SLS (second lead syndrome) hope for a not so necessary leap...hope for typical gender role reversal through horror movies and roller coaster rides (that’s the typical way to describe things...I am not a discriminating fella ...both are allowed to be scared...) ….hope for a lot of cute scenes and laughs...hope for fillers ….hope for a cliched drama ...and there you are ...this drama will meet all your expectations ! (aren’t you wondering ….why am I stressing so much on cliches ….bec the drama wouldn’t exist without them...no not even an ep) Simon Higlett's lovingly-recreated sitting room, where all the action takes place, got a well-deserved round of applause when the curtain went up. And Christopher Luscmbe's excellent direction ensures there's space for both the characterisations and Priestley's dialogue to shine. The acting ...on point in most cases ...the third couple storyline was neither interesting nor fresh and I mostly skipped through them ….our main couple ...with a fairly high share of screen time ...do deliver and ...our second leads ….yep they do fit their roles perfectly ….but sadly do feel a bit underdeveloped …!

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When We Are Married is a domestic comedy set in 1908, in a house belonging to a dull, seen-better-days couple, Alderman Joseph Helliwell and his wife Maria (Mark Stratton and Geraldine Fitzgerald). They’ve got two other rather dull married couples joining them: the Soppitts (Steve Huison and Kate Anthony) and the Parkers (Adrian Hood and Sue Devaney). They’re all celebrating their joint wedding anniversary of 25 years, but all isn’t well when a young man named Gerald (Luke Adamson) pops into the house and tells them that their marriages were never authorised. Even though there were loopholes with the story yet the chemistry between Main leads felt real in some scenes… I guess it's their acting…