Review: When We Are Married - Sewell Barn Theatre

Review by Ray Tempesta

Set in 1908, When We Are Married is a gentle, farcical comedy from J B Priestley, which centres around the marriages of three middle-class Yorkshire couples, all of whom were married on the same day in the same chapel, and are celebrating their silver wedding anniversary together.

Joseph Helliwell (Alderman Helliwell, I should add, played by a bang on form Jamie Willimott) and his wife, Maria (the excellent Karen Bates) play host to the other two couples at their house, as they await the arrival of a journalist and photographer from the Yorkshire Argus to cover their story. But along comes a "la-di-da" Southerner to upset the applecart, causing consternation and chaos for the couples.

It's a delightful script which gives rise to some great comedic turns, from the hammy facial contortions of Giles Conneely as Councillor Albert Parker to the superb sardonic performance by Dawn Brindle as the dominant Clara Soppitt.

Although revolving around the couples, there's a plentiful supply of impactful supporting characters which this excellent cast largely make the most of. Jamie Radcliffe brought a pacey, physical element to his overall impressive showing as organist Gerald Forbes, and Cathy Bowman impressed equally as the cheeky but charming housemaid, Ruby Birtle, with a wonderful, understated performance.

Barn favourite Kevin Oelrichs puts in another entertaining display as the increasingly drunken photographer, Henry Ormonroyd, although the drunkeness perhaps needed reining in slightly towards the end, as he delivered some key plot points in an, at times, unintelligible manner.

The happy couples - or are they? Photo credit: Sean Owen, Reflective Arts Photography

The play is written in three Acts, and is performed as such in this production with an interval at the end of the first and second. Although nice to break things up, the momentum did suffer somewhat, with a more sedate second Act affecting the overall pace. Thankfully, the final third of the show moved at a good speed and came to an enjoyably ridiculous conclusion.

I'm sure there's a wider point to make about the class system, marriage, and gender roles, but sometimes it's ok to just let a daft story play out in front of you and enjoy it for what it is - a very silly and entertaining show.

When We Are Married continues at Sewell Barn Theatre until the 25th July.