When We Are Married

Thank you for the very warm welcome from everyone at Waddington Dramatic Society, especially David Ridout.  The front-of-house team organised by Joan King, were all chatty and busy making the audience welcome and it was lovely to see an almost full house for your second performance.

When We Are Married by J B Priestley is about three couples who we discover are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversaries. Not only do they all share the same anniversary, but they also all got married at the same church at the same time by the same preacher. But a revelation during the festivities throws them all into turmoil. This amusing plot involves the diverse characters all reacting differently to the news that they may not have actually been married after all. House visitors and staff bring more intrigue as everyone tries to get to grips with the situation, they all find themselves in.

The set was a delight, as I have come to expect Julie Addison’s eye for detail radiated from the stage. Era appropriate William Morris style wall covering, doors and furniture were only the start. Pictures, flickering fire in the fireplace, wall lights and ornaments all enriched our experience of the period play. It was an excellent set, depicting a Victorian parlour enhanced with good lighting. (Set build Adrian Peill and technical lead Peter Cheseldine). I was also entranced by the musical elements, written especially for the production by Rob Steadman. A luxury other amateur groups can only dream of. I noted in the programme that the music is available to download. Many people listed in your programme supported the production, especially David Ridout (producer and technical support).

The performers were all well-fitted to their roles. Mostly word-perfect and the pace of the dialogue was great in parts, just occasionally falling down, due I feel to nerves. This did not detract from the enjoyment of the storyline and the character interactions throughout.

Julie Addison as Maria Helliwell and Gary Wright as Alderman Helliwell, who’s house the play is set in, are gracious hosts, depicting a comfortable relationship. Although they have worries about their niece Nancy and their servants Ruby and Mrs Northrop. Their interactions were clever, witty and well-developed. Gary and Julie are lovely to watch, especially the pompous elements of the Alderman and the manipulative elements of Maria’s character. Very believable, well done. To complete this little family Abby Innes plays their niece Nancy Holme. A naughty minx, who is walking out with Gerald. Abby is new to Waddington, and it is delightful to see your society attracting new performers. Abby’s cheeky tongue-in-cheek performance was a little over the top, perhaps too much mugging to the audience, but she managed the two sides of her character very well, more sober when speaking to her aunt and uncle, yet playful and (for the time) delightfully naughty behaviour, around her beau. The audience loved it.

Dale Storey as Gerald Forbes was a ‘fly in the ointment’, who relished delivering the news that sets the play on its roller coaster ride. Dale brought just the right amount of humour to this role. A little more practice with the props (smoking and utilising stage props) as I was a little distracted by the pocket fumbling.  I know it is a challenge to smoke on stage these days, what with fire regulations and the health of the players to incorporate. Fake or vape, cigars and cigarettes are an excellent compromise, yet I felt more practice was needed to make them look more realistic. Perhaps it is because smoking is such a taboo these days, but this element of the show did stand out at times. I feel the cigars were more successful.

Joan King as Clara Soppitt and Andy Brown as Herbert Soppitt were both played well. Their chemistry was undeniable, their interactions were just right for the characters, and I enjoyed their performances. Tony Graves played Councillor Parker and Beth Johnson as Annie Parker as the final couple. Tony was wonderful in his bluster and conceit, yet I found Beth a little unconfident and under-rehearsed. Luckily her errors did not distract from the story line and other performers could either manage the dialogue themselves or pick up again where lines were said too early.

Other visitors to the house on this fateful day are Adrian Peill as Fred Dyson and Robert Graham who played Rev Mercer. Both performed with confidence, gave well-paced dialogue, and brought humour to their roles.

Kayleigh Hellard as Ruby Birtle was a treasure. Her energy and acting choices were lovely to watch. Her Yorkshire accent, learnt especially for this role, Ruby relishes the turmoil within the home and Kayleigh played every nuance with confidence. Charon Harmston as the indomitable Mrs Northrop was another confident performance and well-rounded character. I observed excellent vocalisation and stage presence, from these actors and I look forward to seeing both Kayleigh and Charon again on the Waddington stage.

Maria Wagstaff as Lottie Grady also brought humour and sass to the stage. Her character, who knows more than she is telling, delights the audience with her revelations and accusations. Finally, Neil Markland as Henry Ormonroyd once again gave a sterling performance. Any director would delight in working with Neil, his comedic value alone is worth every moment. Neil can play anything I feel, yet his attitude and movements as a drunk Henry, had the audience in stitches.  Neils confidence and generous acting also meant that every time he was on stage, the pace was brought up and his interactions enhanced other actors’ performance. He really lights up the stage.

Maria’s first-time solo directing was a triumph. I loved the way she had her performers use the stage. The play flowed well, and I enjoyed the dynamic way the positioning of the characters reflected their reactions to the revelations. For instance, the ladies, never sat in the same position on the chaise, depicted in the wedding photograph, apart from the very start and the very end, whilst they were posing for the new photograph. I felt this demonstrated the turmoil and unhappiness which ultimately was solved. So many clever nuances were achieved, especially with such a large cast, well done.

My only criticism for this production were the costumes. Not that I didn’t like them, and I do know that trying to produce Victorian costumes on a shoestring budget is a challenge to any drama group. The fabric style and most of the colours were nor era appropriate and all the ladies, needed better foundation wear.  By that I mean underskirts and corsets would have really enhanced the look and feel. If Waddington are looking to do more plays set in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s then investing in some better under garments and wigs would go a long way to matching the attention to detail you have put into other elements of the production. I feel Jane Kelly did the best she could under the circumstances. Maria Helliwell’s striped coat was lovely, the frills and style were not too bad, but more hair was required to give the authentic look. The gentleman’s costumes were much more successful. Perhaps something to work on for future productions.

Your programme is great, with a good layout and interesting elements. I was delighted to be introduced to two gentlemen in the audience who performed this play in Waddington in 1969.  Your programme included a ‘memory lane’ with their pictures and newspaper clippings. Promoting both local amateur productions and businesses demonstrate how immersed you are in your community, plus I see dates for your next fundraising race night and autumn production. I will be happy to enter this into the NODA regional competition.

Thank you again for the warm welcome and for chatting with me after the show, it's always a pleasure to catch up with everyone and meet your new members.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.