Marriage, mayhem and laughter in Grove Park Theatre's When We Are Married

Grove Park Theatre's latest play When We Are Married opens this week, running from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 March. Directed by Lucy Edwards, this play features a cast of actors playing witty, exasperated, and emboldened characters. On their website, Grove Park Theatre give the following synopsis: "Three Couples, One Night, and a Shocking Surprise! Accept our proposal for matrimonial mirth. "J.B. Priestley's classic comedy When We Are Married is a hilarious and sharp-tongued tale of respectability turned upside down! Three highly respectable Yorkshire couples, celebrating their silver wedding anniversaries, are horrified to discover that their marriages may not be legal after all. As scandal, squabbles, and social embarrassment unfold, the couples must navigate a night of chaos, revelations, and unexpected hilarity. "Packed with witty dialogue, lovable characters, and delightful farce, this brilliant comedy offers a sharp look at marriage, class, and the pretensions of the Edwardian middle class." This play comes near the end of a successful season for the theatre, including plays such as Under Milk Wood and Present Laughter. To celebrate their 100th anniversary, the season has been a nostalgic look-back to some of their greatest hits, such as When We Are Married, which has been performed many times, including in the USA. Grove Park Theatre previously performed When We Are Married in Wayland, Massachusetts in 1985 at Beatrice Herford's Vokes Theatre. 'The Vokes' visited Wrexham as part of this theatrical exchange the previous year, performing On Golden Pond in 1984. We visited behind the scenes of the production at a recent rehearsal. Speaking to director Lucy Edwards, she said that it's been a pleasure to bring both fresh faces with new talent and experienced theatre members (many of whom have directed and performed for numerous other shows) together in this production, creating a play both entertaining to watch but also enjoyable to develop. The community of Grove Park helps make the break between rehearsals a space to connect, something that is helped by the fact that one performer has incredible baking skills and has been fuelling the cast's creativity with different recipes each week. Both the cast and the crew behind the scenes have taken up many different roles within theatre productions in the past and it's this sort of crossover that highlights the community collaboration and creative passion needed to keep local theatre alive and thriving. If you'd like to get involved in the theatre, be it on the stage or behind the scenes, such as helping with stage management, keep an eye on Grove Park's socials (Facebook and Instagram) or contact them via the website. If you'd like not to miss out on the fantastic farce of When We Are Married, featuring dish-smashes, slaps, and sentiment, book tickets here. Following this production, Grove Park will be staging Loot on 19-23 May and Little Shop of Horrors on the 16-25 July. Auditions for Little Shop of Horrors are happening soon, so if you are interested in auditioning for a role, make sure to register your interest and sign up for their audition workshop on the 12 April here.