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When We Are Married
In the heart of Northern England, three respectable couples, married on the same day, at the same church, and by the same vicar, join to celebrate 25 years of blissful matrimony. Or so they think.
114 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
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78 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Priestley
463 books287 followersJohn Boynton Priestley was an English writer. He was the son of a schoolmaster, and after schooling he worked for a time in the local wool trade. Following the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Priestley joined the British Army, and was sent to France - in 1915 taking part in the Battle of Loos. After being wounded in 1917 Priestley returned to England for six months; then, after going back to the Western Front he suffered the consequences of a German gas attack, and, treated at Rouen, he was declared unfit for active service and was transferred to the Entertainers Section of the British Army.
When Priestley left the army he studied at Cambridge University, where he completed a degree in Modern History and Political Science. Subsequently he found work as theatre reviewer with the Daily News, and also contributed to the Spectator, the Challenge and Nineteenth Century. His earliest books included The English Comic Characters (1925), The English Novel (1927), and English Humour (1928). His breakthrough came with the immensely popular novel The Good Companions, published in 1929, and Angel Pavement followed in 1930. He emerged, too, as a successful dramatist with such plays as Dangerous Corner (1932), Time and the Conways (1937), When We Are Married (1938) and An Inspector Calls (1947).
The publication of English Journey in 1934 emphasised Priestley's concern for social problems and the welfare of ordinary people.
During the Second World War Priestley became a popular and influential broadcaster with his famous Postscripts that followed the nine o'clock news BBC Radio on Sunday evenings. Starting on 5th June 1940, Priestley built up such a following that after a few months it was estimated that around 40 per cent of the adult population in Britain was listening to the programme.
Some members of the Conservative Party, including Winston Churchill, expressed concern that Priestley might be expressing left-wing views on the programme, and, to his dismay, Priestley was dropped after his talk on 20th October 1940.
After the war Priestley continued his writing, and his work invariably provoked thought, and his views were always expressed in his blunt Yorkshire style.
His prolific output continued right up to his final years, and to the end he remained the great literary all-rounder. His favourite among his books was for many years the novel Bright Day, though he later said he had come to prefer The Image Men.
It should not be overlooked that Priestley was an outstanding essayist, and many of his short pieces best capture his passions and his great talent and his mastery of the English language. He set a fine example for any would-be author.
When Priestley left the army he studied at Cambridge University, where he completed a degree in Modern History and Political Science. Subsequently he found work as theatre reviewer with the Daily News, and also contributed to the Spectator, the Challenge and Nineteenth Century. His earliest books included The English Comic Characters (1925), The English Novel (1927), and English Humour (1928). His breakthrough came with the immensely popular novel The Good Companions, published in 1929, and Angel Pavement followed in 1930. He emerged, too, as a successful dramatist with such plays as Dangerous Corner (1932), Time and the Conways (1937), When We Are Married (1938) and An Inspector Calls (1947).
The publication of English Journey in 1934 emphasised Priestley's concern for social problems and the welfare of ordinary people.
During the Second World War Priestley became a popular and influential broadcaster with his famous Postscripts that followed the nine o'clock news BBC Radio on Sunday evenings. Starting on 5th June 1940, Priestley built up such a following that after a few months it was estimated that around 40 per cent of the adult population in Britain was listening to the programme.
Some members of the Conservative Party, including Winston Churchill, expressed concern that Priestley might be expressing left-wing views on the programme, and, to his dismay, Priestley was dropped after his talk on 20th October 1940.
After the war Priestley continued his writing, and his work invariably provoked thought, and his views were always expressed in his blunt Yorkshire style.
His prolific output continued right up to his final years, and to the end he remained the great literary all-rounder. His favourite among his books was for many years the novel Bright Day, though he later said he had come to prefer The Image Men.
It should not be overlooked that Priestley was an outstanding essayist, and many of his short pieces best capture his passions and his great talent and his mastery of the English language. He set a fine example for any would-be author.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 5, 2016
Hilarious funny, and extremely well written. An underrated masterpiece that follows the formula of Shakespearean comedy, with a unique Yorkshire touch.
April 27, 2024
Priestley pokes fun at Yorkshire, chapel, respectability, and marriage. Good fun, but, ah, poor Annie.
September 5, 2025
Wie wil weten waar Alan Ayckbourn de mosterd vandaan haalde voor zijn komedies, moet J.B. Priestley lezen, bijvoorbeeld deze ‘When we are married’. Net zoals Molière hekelt Priestley de gebreken der burgers, hier in het huwelijk, gespeend van liefde en geluk, gesneuveld op het veld van (de schijn van) fatsoen, machisme, materialisme.
Waarbij - zoals bij Ayckbourn - alle maskers afgaan en zalige chaos losbarst.
Het enig verschil is dat het een kleine 100 jaar geleden nog op een happy ending afliep…
Waarbij - zoals bij Ayckbourn - alle maskers afgaan en zalige chaos losbarst.
Het enig verschil is dat het een kleine 100 jaar geleden nog op een happy ending afliep…
August 29, 2022
An amusing farce from a century ago. How the view of marriage has changed in that time!
How solid is your marriage? What is it that keeps you together? Is it love, or honor, or simply habit? What would you do if you found out that you were not really married? Would you work harder to stay together or seek "greener" pastures?
This comedy holds up well after all the time that has past since it was first penned, but one can't help but wonder if it could possibly have been written the same way today.
This is a short, fun jaunt through the psyches of three couples (and some who surround them) after 25 years of married life. A worthwhile use of your time.
How solid is your marriage? What is it that keeps you together? Is it love, or honor, or simply habit? What would you do if you found out that you were not really married? Would you work harder to stay together or seek "greener" pastures?
This comedy holds up well after all the time that has past since it was first penned, but one can't help but wonder if it could possibly have been written the same way today.
This is a short, fun jaunt through the psyches of three couples (and some who surround them) after 25 years of married life. A worthwhile use of your time.
April 24, 2022
I played the part of the photographer in this wonderful play, and got to know it well. It's a strangely structured play: two seemingly important characters never appear again after the first act, and there are a bunch of small roles in it. The plot, when it gets down to it, involves three couples who were never married at all because of a technical hitch, and the effects this has on their lives over a couple of hectic days. Written nearly a hundred years ago, but still as effective on stage as ever.
July 15, 2015
Well, are we or aren't we married? That's not the sort of question you expect to ask after 25 years of married life, but it's what these couples discover at the beginning of this amusing light-hearted play. Not too serious but quite enjoyable.
June 16, 2015
Listened to it on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Good cast - Alun Armstrong, Alan Bennett, Brenda Blethyn etc. Very much a period piece, of its time, but still enjoyable.
March 22, 2020
An amusing little farce that would no doubt be worthwhile seeing performed.
April 14, 2021
Another good English comedy that challenges established morality about marriage.
January 27, 2024
All the reviews here are for the play not the York Notes!
The notes are well laid out and easy to read. I enjoyed the quizzes and as I am reading the notes for general knowledge have not read in detail the essay elements of the notes.
I was quite disappointed with the notes as they contain inaccuracies and opinions which suggest quick and cheap production and the reference point seems like a production and not the French's play script (ISBN 9780573014765)
Page 12 of the notes, Albert Parker is not an Alderman yet; page 79 of play text "Councillor this year Alderman next",.
The comment about class on page 12 misses the point " It wasn't that Bradford didn't have a social hierarchy.... it was based upon what one had personally accomplished". (Judith Cook "Priestley" Bloomsbury 1997) Failure to understand this reduces the value of the play.
Page 15 the women are preparing to play Newmarket with their men folk, not alone.
Page 16, the local mayor coming in is not in my copy of the script - it may be a directorial choice but was not the writer’s choice as shown in the French’s script.
And on the same page it's Herbert that found Mrs Northrop.
Page 19 of the notes: "The Soppits do not speak with a Yorkshire accent”. Page 9 of the play script "Herbert Soppit and Mrs Parker talk a rather genteel ordinary English" There is no note about Mrs Soppit’s accent that I have found; there seem to be plenty of noted elisions and reductions such at o' for of and 'em for them to indicate dialect in Clara. Again perhaps this was a director’s choice. And I think there is evidence to suggest that Annie's accent become broader in places, so maybe the writer was not consistent.
Page 33 of the notes what was said to Lottie "was clearly in a moment of fun". I can't find any evidence of this the text.
The notes are well laid out and easy to read. I enjoyed the quizzes and as I am reading the notes for general knowledge have not read in detail the essay elements of the notes.
I was quite disappointed with the notes as they contain inaccuracies and opinions which suggest quick and cheap production and the reference point seems like a production and not the French's play script (ISBN 9780573014765)
Page 12 of the notes, Albert Parker is not an Alderman yet; page 79 of play text "Councillor this year Alderman next",.
The comment about class on page 12 misses the point " It wasn't that Bradford didn't have a social hierarchy.... it was based upon what one had personally accomplished". (Judith Cook "Priestley" Bloomsbury 1997) Failure to understand this reduces the value of the play.
Page 15 the women are preparing to play Newmarket with their men folk, not alone.
Page 16, the local mayor coming in is not in my copy of the script - it may be a directorial choice but was not the writer’s choice as shown in the French’s script.
And on the same page it's Herbert that found Mrs Northrop.
Page 19 of the notes: "The Soppits do not speak with a Yorkshire accent”. Page 9 of the play script "Herbert Soppit and Mrs Parker talk a rather genteel ordinary English" There is no note about Mrs Soppit’s accent that I have found; there seem to be plenty of noted elisions and reductions such at o' for of and 'em for them to indicate dialect in Clara. Again perhaps this was a director’s choice. And I think there is evidence to suggest that Annie's accent become broader in places, so maybe the writer was not consistent.
Page 33 of the notes what was said to Lottie "was clearly in a moment of fun". I can't find any evidence of this the text.
December 2, 2021
Well, this one hasn't aged well. It's a shadow of work compared with Shaw's Getting Married. Can't imagine it will *ever* be produced again without major overhaul. (removing numerous mysoginistic, racist statements and oh yes the bullying scene). It's not even that funny.
February 2, 2018
Enjoyable, dated, predictable and I've seen this premise before, but not sure where.
March 9, 2021
Amusing and well written. Be a good play to stage.
July 27, 2025
pokes fun at the institution of marriage and morality with some good northern humour.
March 6, 2014
Reading the premise, it looks as if I have encountered this before - we'll see.
Stars Alun Armstrong, Alan Bennett and Brenda Blethyn.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/...
Great cast, dated premise
Stars Alun Armstrong, Alan Bennett and Brenda Blethyn.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/...
Great cast, dated premise
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2011
BBC Play
May 9, 2016
An interesting and amusing play - not a whole lot of substance, but worth reading.
December 3, 2023
A lovely light hearted play full of funny moment
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews