Performance history

Conjugal Rites was first performed in the United Kingdom at the Watford Palace Theatre

Watford Palace Theatre

Watford Palace Theatre, opened in 1908, is an Edwardian Grade II listed building on Clarendon Road, Watford.- Refurbishment :In September 2004 the theatre re-opened after a two year £8.8million Lottery funded refurbishment, which included more public space, two bars, a daytime café, air cooling and...

 on 24 January 1991. It starred Nicky Henson

Nicky Henson

Nicholas Victor Leslie "Nicky" Henson is an English actor who has portrayed many roles since 1963. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1977. He was born in London.-Early life:...

 and Gwen Taylor

Gwen Taylor

Gwen Taylor is an actress who has appeared in many British television programmes, including Z-Cars, Murder Most Horrid, Yes, Prime Minister, Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders and Belonging...

.

The play was also performed in New Zealand at the Fortune Theatre (New Zealand)

Fortune Theatre (New Zealand)

New Zealand's Fortune Theatre is located on the corner of Moray Place and Upper Stuart Street, in the heart of the southern city of Dunedin. The theatre lays claim to being the world's southernmost professional theatre company and is the sole professional theatre group in Dunedin...

 in Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

. It starred Timothy Bartlett

Timothy Bartlett

Timothy Bartlett is a New Zealand stage, television and film actor who is best known for presenting TVNZ's Playschool in the 1980s, and playing Bernie Leach in Shortland Street in the mid 1990s. He first appeared in professional theatre for Auckland's Theatre Corporate in 1974...

 and Janet Fisher.

Synopsis

Barry, a dentist, and his wife Gen are in bed when the play begins. They are about to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary. The scene- their bedroom- remains the same throughout the play, as we see the couple discussing their marriage, their grown-up children and their work.
It is clear that a major shift has occurred in the power balance between the two of them, since Gen has studied for a law degree in later life, and has recently become a practising solicitor.
Towards the end of the play there are revelations about infidelities on both their parts- Barry with a patient, and Gen with one of her fellow solicitors.

TV adaptation

Conjugal Rites was adapted as a situation comedy

Situation comedy

A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...

 for ITV

ITV

ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

  made by Granada Television

Granada Television

Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....

 which ran to 13 episodes over two seasons in 1993 and 1994. The lead roles were taken by Gwen Taylor

Gwen Taylor

Gwen Taylor is an actress who has appeared in many British television programmes, including Z-Cars, Murder Most Horrid, Yes, Prime Minister, Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders and Belonging...

 and Michael Williams. Though they are only referred to- but not seen- in the stage play, the couple's son and daughter appear in the sitcom: Phillip Stephen Moyer

Stephen Moyer

Stephen Moyer is an English actor who has starred as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series True Blood since 2008.-Early life and career:Moyer was born in Brentwood, Essex...

 and Gillian Cordelia Bugeja

Cordelia Bugeja

Cordelia Bugeja is a British actress, best known for her roles as Melanie Hart in the soap opera Family Affairs, and the prostitute Kate in Respectable on Five....