When We Are Married

Summary

1957 BBC Television production of Priestley’s comedy When We Are Married.

Theatre play

When We Are Married by J. B. Priestley (1894-1984) [more information]

Play synopsis

The action takes place in 1908 in Yorkshire: ‘A group of old friends, all married on the same day in the same chapel, [gather] at the Helliwells’ home to celebrate their silver anniversary. When they discover that they are not legally married, each couple initially reacts with proper Victorian horror - what will the neighbours think? - but soon all three couples find themselves reevaluating their marriages. In the end, of course, everything turns out well, and the play ends on a happy note’ (http://www.stageagent.com/Shows/View/4899).

Production history

Premiered at London’s St Martin’s Theatre in October 1938.

Date of transmission

Tuesday 24 December 1957

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Vivian A. Daniels

Playwright

J. B. Priestley (1894-1984)

Musician

Sybilla Marshall (pianist)

Designer

Fanny Taylor

Cast

Alison Bayley	Lottie Grady
Eileen Beldon	Clara Soppitt
Wilfrid Brambell	Herbert Soppitt
Violet Carson	Maria Helliwell
Marion Dawson	Mrs Northrop
Mark Dignam	Councillor Albert Parker
Murray Hayne	Gerald Forbes
Robert James	The Rev. Clement Mercer
Frank Pettingell	Henry Ormonroyd
Helena Pickard	Annie Parker
John Sharp	Alderman Joseph Helliwell
Martin Starkie	Fred Dyson
Joan Sydney	Ruby Birtle
Elaine Usher	Nancy Holmes

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

comedy; marriage; north of England, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 20 December 1957 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article, p. 6; listing, p. 19

Title

Sticking to the Book (Newspaper review)

Author/creator

Maurice Richardson (Reviewer)

Reference

The Observer, 29 December 1957, p. 8