I first saw and ‘fell in love’ with J B Priestley’s “farcical comedy” When We Are Married in 1970 at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, a superb and very funny production by Robert Chetwyn, whose cast included Peggy Mount as Clara Soppitt, Fred Emney as local press photographer Henry Ormonroyd, Hugh Lloyd as hen-pecked Herbert Soppit, plus Gretchen Franklin as Mrs Northrop, the char. Since then, it has been one of my very favourite plays, and I am pleased to report that Tim Sheader’s revival does not disappoint!
Set in Bradford in 1908, the play follows the consequences of three middle-aged couples celebrating their silver wedding, who discover that they were not legally married. First seen at Manchester in 1938, the idea for the plot was given to Priestley by his wife, who found it in a volume of French short stories. “I had long wanted to write a funny play about the Yorkshire I had known as a boy…every droll thing about that old Yorkshire. I let it rip… very happily (I wrote) at a furious speed…”
One of the most enjoyable things about the play is that, although penned tongue-in-cheek, all twelve roles are superbly written, the secondary roles almost being more important than the three (un)married couples.
For example, Mrs Northrop rarely appears, especially in the latter part of the play, yet drives the plot and makes every one of her all too brief entrances count. Janice Connolly is marvellous in this role, carefully steering a course which teeters on stereotyping, yet never does. Ron Cook, as Ormonroyd, is introduced very early, then only makes the occasional entrance, but each one is vital, amusing and, again, never overplayed. It is a continual pleasure to watch both these actors extract all the humour possible out of the text, with apparent ease, as it is so well composed, and, from this writer’s point of view, not at all outmoded!
The three couples, who have differing views on whether they wish to remarry, which is where much of the humour derives, are also beautifully portrayed, Samatha Spiro being very imperious as Clara Soppitt, Sophie Thompson suitably downtrodden as Annie Parker, and Siobhan Finneran very amusing as Maria Helliwell. Her husband, full of self-importance as he is a local “Alderman” and pillar of the Chapel, is amusingly portrayed by John Hodgkinson, cast as being slimmer and taller than the other two husbands, which really works as he appears to tower above them. Annie’s boorish husband is in the very capable hands of Marc Wootton, relishing the long, uncalled-for, dull speeches that Priestley gives him, and being particularly funny every time he is called “stingy”, which occurs more and more in the latter part of the play, causing him to almost become apoplectic. The more annoyed he gets, the more we laugh, human nature being what it is! The ‘worm that turns’, Herbert Soppitt, is given a lovely, warm performance by Jim Howick. We empathise with him from the start, and almost cheer when he answers back for the first time!
Tori Allen-Martin is suitably ‘tarty’ as Lottie Grady, a role played by Patricia Hayes in 1938, and the real ‘love interest’ is supplied by Rowan Robinson (Nancy) and Reuben Joseph as Gerald, another secondary character whose ‘letter’ is the catalyst for the whole story.
Tim Sheader has wisely let the play speak for itself: he gives it the lightness and pace it needs, as well as a true sense of period. Peter Mackintosh’s set design is just the right colour for the era and allows the actors plenty of room, even with the gorgeous massive sofa centre stage. Ryan Day’s lighting is unobtrusive, and therefore must be good! My only caveat is the loud music (Beyonce?) played between Acts One and Two, which totally destroys the atmosphere Sheader and the ensemble have all been trying to create!
Despite that, this is a wonderful revival of a warm-hearted, at times truly hilarious, play. Apart from “An Inspector Calls”, Priestley seems to have fallen out of fashion. Dangerous Corner, Time and the Conways, and Laburnum Grove (does anyone else reading this recall the 1977 West End production starring Arthur Lowe?) are rarely played these days.
When We Are Married does not disappoint: the cast is superb, and the play is as good today as it always has been because Priestley knew what he was doing! Very highly recommended!
Review by John Groves
“If you woke up tomorrow to find you weren’t married to us, you’d be in for a few big surprises.”
Three couples, highly respected pillars of the Yorkshire community, gather to celebrate their joint silver wedding anniversaries. It’s champagne toasts all round until their evening of pride and self-satisfaction is upended by an unexpected and deeply embarrassing revelation.
As scandal turns to farce, the couples are forced to confront long-buried truths, simmering resentments and the liberating possibility of starting over.
Cast: Tori Allen-Martin, Janice Connolly, Ron Cook, Siobhan Finneran, John Hodgkinson, Jim Howick, Reuben Joseph, Rowan Robinson, Samantha Spiro, Sophie Thompson, Marc Wootton, Leo Wringer
Writer – J. B. Priestley (1894-1984)
Director – Tim Sheader
Set Designer – Peter McKintosh
Costume Designer – Anna Fleischle
Lighting Designer – Ryan Day
Sound Designer – Fergus O’Hare
Composer and Music Arranger – Will Stuart
Voice Director – Barbara Houseman
Dialect Coach – Natalie Grady
Casting Director – Lotte Hines CDG
Resident Assistant Director – Ewa Dina
Assistant Set Designer – Raphaé Memon
Assistant Costume Designer – Roisin Gearty
Assistant Lighting Designer – Harriet White
WHEN WE ARE MARRIED
Donmar Warehouse
6 December 2025 to 7 February 2026
