Penguin’s re release of the novel Benighted as part of its Horror series has drawn a rave review from the Times:
‘Scary, disturbing, funny — it’s JB Priestley’s forgotten horror story- Benighted, the author’s 1927 novel about a dark old house, is a satisfyingly creepy tale with an urgent message.’
“If you woke up tomorrow to find you weren’t married to us, you’d be in for a few big surprises.”
Three couples, highly respected pillars of the Yorkshire community, gather to celebrate their joint silver wedding anniversaries. It’s champagne toasts all round until their evening of pride and self-satisfaction is upended by an unexpected and deeply embarrassing revelation.
As scandal turns to farce, the couples are forced to confront long-buried truths, simmering resentments and the liberating possibility of starting over.
Artistic Director Tim Sheader leads a joyful revival of J.B. Priestley’s much-loved comedy, with a stellar cast.
Visit: https://www.donmarwarehouse.com/whats-on/when-we-are-married-rg17
JBP’s novel BENIGHTED has been republished by Penguin as part of a newly released horror series.
Said to be the first-ever ‘haunted house psychodrama’ , a 1932 a James Whale movie adaptation under the title The Old Dark House recently placed no71 on Time Outs’ list of all time Horror Films. Decades later a much more loosely interpreted Hammer Films version was released in 1963. Remarkably the book’s legacy can be traced not only to the likes of The Rocky Horror Show but even the Adams family TV and film franchise. In 2017 a theatre adaption in London played to great reviews and won best director in the ‘Off West End’ awards.
The Imperial War Museum has republished this 1945 novel as part of their Wartime Classics series. It follows the three servicemen as they come to terms with what faces them as they resume civilian life at the end of the war.
The novel Bright Day is currently available on BBC Sounds in a six part dramatisation. It’s a rare opportunity to listen to one of Priestley’s finest novels. Visit BBC Sounds Bright Day
All time non-fiction classics English Journey and Delight have been published in new editions by Harper Collins North.
English Journey was a best seller when first published in 1934, and is said to be a book so influential that it hastened the initiation of such public institutions as the NHS. Regularly re-printed and re-imagined in various forms , sometimes illustrated, this stripped down version reverts simply to the original text. Currently it is the inspiration for Stuart Maconie’s recent travelogue ‘ The Full English ‘.
Delight is often quoted as the ideal ‘present book’ and continues to give pleasure to all generations . The previous Great Northern illustrated edition was picked by the Daily Telegraph as one of its chosen books for Christmas.
Both are available online and in all good bookshops.
The eminent broadcaster presents an intelligent and intriguing Radio 4 documentary now on BBC Sounds : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001lych.
David Villegas of Salmon Road Productions has a version opening on June 9th, 2022 and closing this first season on July 17th. (24 performances) at Teatro Orientacion (351-seater) in Mexico City.
A production of An Inspector Calls starts this month in Beijing at the Old Drum Theatre near the old Drum Tower just north of the Forbidden City. Tickets are available from Damai, the largest Chinese ticketing agency.
J.B PRIESTLEY 