This is to my mind a fine, well-crafted, play with a lot of humour that gets close at times to farce and with excellent character parts.

The play is set in “a solid detached late Victorian house” in Yorkshire owned by the Helliwell family in the early 20th century.

When three ultra respectable, self-conceived pillars-of-the-community, couples get together to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversaries all seems set for a garrulous, self-congratulatory and convivial evening discussing their mutual good fortunes.

All three couples were married on the same day, in the same church, by the same vicar. Therein, little do they know it, lies a very big fly in the ointment. They have a bit of business to conduct first with Gerald Forbes, the organist and choirmaster of the local chapel. But he knows something they don't and he's prepared to use it in his defence. When the journalist from the local press arrives with his photographer, primed to record the occasion for an admiring public, they realise that he's hit upon a scandal more suited to a red-top tabloid newspaper.

Not only does the occasion fall apart as the story unfolds but also so does the time-worn relationship between the husbands and their wives. Are they going to put themselves back together again by the end of the play? Well that's for you to find out when you come to the audition or read the play, but hopefully both!

There are no monologues in this play - just a lot of fast-moving witty dialogue

The Characters:

Ruby Birtle – A young, unrefined, “slavey” (Domestic Servant) learning the ropes very fast.

Gerald Forbes – Under 40. Charming, fashionably up-to-date in clothes and manner, with designs on becoming Nancy Holmes's fiancé. A bit pleased with himself.

Mrs Northrop – Middle aged; the aggressive but humorous head domestic servant, with an 'in-your-face' manner and no respect for class.

Nancy Holmes – Under 40 and niece of Alderman Helliwell. Attractive and keen on Gerald but torn between the excitement he generates in her and the respectable background she comes from.

Fred Dyson – Could be any age. The dyed-in-the wool local newspaper reporter. A bit bumptious and thinks he's seen it all before and is familiar with all human foibles.

Henry Ormonroyd – Could be any age. The newspaper photographer; dignified, 'seen-it-all' before type.

Albert & Annie Parker – One of the couples celebrating 25 years of marriage. He, conceited and “sententious”. She, still optimistic about her role in the community despite years of playing second fiddle to her husband.

Herbert & Clara Soppitt – Another of those celebrating their 25th anniversary. He, a neat and rather pedantic man, dominated by his wife. She, noisy and domineering and accustomed to speaking for Herbert.

Alderman & Mrs Maria Helliwell – The third couple celebrating their 25th anniversary. He pompous, self-opinionated and pleased with himself. She, similarly.

Lottie Grady - An expansive, rather brash lady, who grew up in the community and knows the 'happy couples' from the days before they were married and is prepared to remind them of that.

Rev. Clement Mercer – The local vicar who is called in to repair the damage. Avuncular and grave and not quite sure what to make of it all.

Lottie Grady and the Rev Clement Mercer only appear in Acts 2 & 3.

I do hope you will come to the audition which will be held at Ditchling Village Hall on Monday 9th January 2012 at 8.00pm. If you are unable to come but would be interested in being a part of this production please contact me (Tom Dufty) on 01273 844110.

I think we can have a lot of fun with this play.

Tom Dufty, Director