Walmsley AODS have produced a corker of a play. J.B. Priestley's "When We Are Married" is handled with great professionalism by the cast.
As with all farces, there is a lot which can go wrong if the material isn't handled well, but the cast produced faultless performances, barring the odd forgotten line by one or two members.
Priestley's "Yorkshire farcical comedy" is a slick and witty affair. Three couples who aim to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary get a nasty shock when the news is broken they were never properly married at all. The surprise is all the more unpleasant because it threatens to undermine the high standing the couples hold in society.
Mayhem ensues as the husbands and wives become distressed at their unmarried status but then ask themselves whether they want to be married at all. The news gets out to gossipy servant Mrs Northrop who is a gift of a character to a talented actress as Yvonne Neary.
Each couple gets a dose of reality. Wool magnate Cllr Albert Parker - played in an outstanding fashion by Ernest Dawson - is told he is stingy and boring. Maria Helliwell, a marvellous performance by Cecilia Keefe, gets a second nasty shock when good-time girl Lottie Grady - Hazel Gray - turns up claiming her husband's hand. But Alderman Joseph Helliwell - another great performance, this time by Roy Iddon - wants nothing to do with it.
Mike Taylor is good as the photographer Henry Ormonroyd, as is Irene Bowers as Clara Soppitt. A mention should go to Andrew Turton who only had three weeks notice before stepping onto the stage as Fred Dyson.
The action takes place in Alderman Helliwell's house in a town in West Riding in 1908. The stage set, costumes and Yorkshire accents were spot-on. It's a great laugh all the way through and a great evening out.
