When We Are Married by J.B. Priestley, The Donmar Warehouse, 41 Earlham Street, London WC2H | until 7 February 2026 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

Photo credit: Johan Persson

When We Are Married

by J.B. Priestley

The Donmar Warehouse, 41 Earlham Street, London WC2H | until 7 February 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

“Hilarious splendidly performed Priestley play”.

J.B.Priestley's 1938 comedy is hardly an unknown play – it gets regularly revived – and this very funny version directed by Tim Sheader, even if it does slightly overdo the everything from the music hall turns opening acts one and two to the immense ceiling high aspidistra in the corner of the highly stylised set,  is very good indeed. A fine cast clearly enjoy themselves as the three Bradford couples celebrating their silver wedding who discover that, due to a technical hitch, the parson who married them, was not qualified to do so. For some freedom beckons. For others social disgrace. There is also a stand out turn from Ron Cook as Henry Ormonroyd, the photographer from the Argus sent to take a picture of these six prominent citizens - the  Helliwells, the Parkers and the Soppitts - who arrives somewhat over refreshed from the pub and as the drama of the night unfolds gets ever more gloriously drunk until  being revealed at the end as holding the key to it all. It is 1908 and marriage for women was a very different proposition than it is now so, while the men are aghast at the social disgrace they face, the women, or some of them, see freedom from a quarter of a century of being a “good” wife. The news is brought to them by the local organist who has been seen out with a young woman, not it seems proper behaviour, who happens to be the Helliwell's niece. It opens with their venal cleaning woman, Mrs Northrop, played to the hilt by Janice Connolly, giving us a music hall song to set the mood. Councillor Helliwell, John Hodgkinson, is a pompous lecher, Mrs Helliwell, Siobhan Finneran is as snobbish as they come, while the other couples are equally mismatched. Clara Soppitt, Samantha Spiro doing a marvellous virago forever pecking her downtrodden husband Herbert played by Jim Howick - who rises to the thought of freedom with relish – is forced to think again, Mrs Helliwell goes back to mother while dumping his washing on his mistress, and Sophie Thompson, as a delightfully downtrodden wife, tells her no longer husband Albert Parker, an overbearing bully played by Marc Wooton, that she has no wish to be married to him any longer, a thought he cannot understand. One or two casting choices do not quite fit the period but since it all takes place in a pantomime world it does not matter. The wheels of Priestley's play go round perfectly even if the events are not set in the usual overstuffed provincial pomp middle class Bradfordians who have done well in the world and risen above their actual station would have lived in. Act Two also opens with a music hall song this time from Lottie Grady, the barmaid who has a secret or two to spill, played by Tori-Allen Martin, which again sets the tone for what is to come although she does not milk her song quite as much as Janice Connolly does. It is possible that the play is funnier if played straight but the music hall mood imposed by director Sheader suits the occasion and the result is a very funny show in which everyone lives happily ever after even if what Priestley had to say about marriage and the social rules of Edwardian England is simply glossed over.

Cast

Tori Allen-Martin – Lottie Grady

Janice Connolly – Mrs Northrop

Ron Cook – Henry Ormonroyd

Siobhan Finneran – Maria Helliwell

John Hodgkinson – Joseph Helliwell

Jim Howick – Herbert Soppitt

Reuben Joseph – Gerald Forbes

Rowan Robinson – Nancy Holmes

Samantha Spiro – Clara Soppitt

Sophie Thompson – Annie Parker

Marc Wooton – Albert Parker

Leo Wringer – Reverend Clement Mercer

Creatives

Director – Tim Sheader

Set Designer – Peter McKintosh

Costume Designer -Anna Fleischle

Lighting Designer – Ryan Day

Sound Designer – Fergus O'Hare

Composer & Music Arranger – Will Stuart

Dialect Coach – Natalie Grady

Voice Director – Barbara Houseman