When We Are Married

Set in a fictional Yorkshire town, we meet three couples who have come together to celebrate what they believe to be their joint Silver Wedding Anniversaries.  Unfortunately, all may not have been quite as it seemed 25 years ago, when the three couples married on the same day in the same chapel. The consequences are played out through this superbly written play.

The play calls for a large cast. Joseph Helliwell, the Alderman (George Georgiou) and Maria Helliwell (Anne Troman) both captured the materialistic nature of their new money standing. Their extravagance countered the prudent and parsimonious nature of Albert Parker, the Town Councillor (Clive Barlow) who was nothing but a bore to his stifled and stuck wife, Annie (Gill Troman).  Herbert Soppitt (John Richardson) executed a role reversal from browbeaten to resilient with great effect, whilst his wife Clara (Jenny Culligan) reluctantly softened her overbearing manner by the end of the evening. Other characters of note included Ruby Birtle (Amy Tregellis) the wonderfully exuberant and animated young maid, she maintained her characterisation throughout; Henry Ormonroyd, (Lee Tregellis) an alcoholic photographer, his slow decline into inebriation over the evening was nicely paced and his revelations were a blessing in disguise to the three “happy” couples of whom he’d been called to take a photograph; and Mrs Northrop (Jean Kerby) the loose-tongued cook.  Nancy Holmes (Julie Sadler), Clement Mercer (Matt Round), Gerald Forbes (Taylor Johns) and Lottie Grady (Vicki Troman), we even had an visit from the Mayor of Clecklewyke, Bob Jeffcoat who completed the line-up.

There is no central character as such; rather the situation in which they find themselves is the main focus. However, the Director had introduced a central character in the form of the door to the Helliwell’s extravagantly furnished Drawing Room, which was the only piece of practical set on the stage.  With the corridor left open behind it so that the audience could see the comings and goings of the cast, the brave choice paid off.  Coupled with Ruby doing much of the set tidying in her role as maid between Acts, the staging worked wonderfully well on a fantastic set designed by Lee Tregellis Clair Tregellis did a wonderful job with this play.  Congratulations to you all.

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