AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: When We Are Married - The Garrick Playhouse, Altrincham.

I am always excited to visit Altrincham Garrick. As a member of the amateur dramatic fraternity you would want to be a part of this company. Established in 1914 the Garrick is known for its diverse range of productions, but I would say it is best known for its reputation for excellent quality productions. People travel from far and wide and the opening night for 'When We Are Married' was no exception. On a cold damp night, they came in their droves. A coach arrived at the same time as me and I rushed to make sure that I was ahead of that queue at the box office. Having achieved my goal and picking up my ticket I took my seat on Row A, which is not a problem as there is not a bad seat in this house.

So how was the production, and the performances of the cast? For me if you are to do justice to a period drama then the commitment must be total, and nothing must be left to chance. As the curtains opened, it was clear that in fact nothing had been left to chance. We were greeted with what can only be described as a sumptuous set. The stage was now every part a Victorian sitting room. Adorned with velvet curtains and red wallpaper you really felt as though you were stepping back in time. Furniture was of the period and I really must congratulate those involved in its design and construction.

Priestley's premise is simple enough: three Yorkshire couples, whilst about to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary, discover that they were never legally married. The initial shock of this is bad enough but when this news is overheard by the cook, who is well known as the town gossip, and who announces she has heard of their predicament after being dismissed. Fear strikes deep into the hearts of all those involved, and they try to decide how best to deal with the disaster they find themselves in. As the plot unfolds each marriage undergoes its own “review”. The men realise that perhaps they have the chance to be free again, and much to then men’s dismay the women seem quite open to the chance of taking their freedom again also. Especially when Lottie Grady, a painted lady, arrives and tells the wives that she knows two of the three husbands particularly well!

Costumes, like the set, were excellent - as were the actors wearing them! The cast for this play numbers fourteen and all played their part in an excellent production. Acts 1 and 2 set the scene but it was Act 3 that the audience, and I suspect the actors, really enjoyed. Whilst I can’t list everything that was good (too much detail), I must mention some stand-out performances. The Willie Mossop type transformation of Herbert Soppitt as he stands up to his wife was excellently played by Hugh Everett. The confrontation with his controlling wife that ends up in Herbert slapping her across the face brought gasps and then whoops of approval from the audience. Another highlight was the one-way discussion between Councilor Albert Parker (Mike Shaw) and his wife Annie (Christine Perry). As Albert strutted around the stage telling Annie just how lucky she was to be married to him, Annie’s deadpan replies and interjections were excellently delivered to extract every drop of irony that she could. Characterisations were excellent, every time Mrs Northrop (Alison Davis) entered the room I felt sorry for anyone brave enough to stand in her path and Ruby Birtle’s (Georgia Geupel) poetry recitement was delivered with complete abandon and was a joy to behold. Congratulations to all I am sure you will have a very good run. Get tickets whist you can

Reviewer - Jen O'Beirne
on - 4/11/19