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Happy Since I Met You

Field	Value
image	Happy_Since_I_Met_You.jpg
caption	VHS cover
genre	Comedy
runtime	52 min.
creator	Victoria Wood
director	Baz Taylor
starring	Julie Walters
Duncan Preston
country	United Kingdom
network	ITV
first_aired
num_series	1
num_episodes	1
producer	Peter Eckersley

Duncan Preston Happy Since I Met You is a television play written by Victoria Wood, and broadcast on ITV on 9 August 1981.{{cite web

It stars Julie Walters and Duncan Preston and was directed by Baz Taylor as part of ITV's Screenplay series.{{cite web The film was notable for early TV appearances in minor roles by rising stars Maggie Steed, Tracey Ullman and George Costigan. Although Wood does not appear in the film, she sings several of her compositions including the opening song and other songs performed over the on-screen action.

Plot

The story takes place over three consecutive Christmases. At the first, drama teacher Frances is defiantly single and enjoying living alone, but shortly after spending Christmas with her family, she meets an actor, Jim and they begin dating. By the next Christmas, they have moved in together and seem to be settling with their relationship, but Frances becomes frustrated with losing her independence and by the third Christmas, their cohabitation has driven her to anger and she leaves Jim after an explosive argument. Jim tracks her down at the train station as Frances attempts to get away to find solitude, but she realises she does love Jim and the film ends with them agreeing to try again.

Cast

Julie Walters as Frances
Duncan Preston as Jim
Kathryn Apanowicz as Judith
Christine Moore as Marie
Sue Wallace as Olwen
Louise Cullinan as Gemma
Tracey Ullman as Karen
Barbara New as Mum
Jim Bowen as Dad
Marjorie Sudell as Auntie
Carol Leader as Mary
Alison Skilbeck as Elaine
Sidney Livingstone as Dennis
Lottie Ward as Moira
Norman Mills as Alec
Nellie Hanham as Margot
Maggie Steed as Ginny
George Costigan as Ted
Judy Lloyd as Beverly
Sandra Voe as Headmistress
Fidelis Morgan as Nun
Eileen Mayers as Neighbour
Maggie Lane as Cashier
Monica Lewis as Customer
Meretta Elliot as Girl
Phil Kernott as Attendant
Alison Stirrup as Woman
June Dixon, Rebecca Leach and Alison Attenborough as Schoolgirls

Production

Costume: Diane Holmes

Make-up: Sarah Horseman

Casting Director: Priscilla John

Film Editor: Bob Morton

Designer: Colin Rees

Producer: Peter Eckersley

Director: Baz Taylor

Music & Lyrics by Victoria Wood, arranged and conducted by Jim Parker.

Critical reception

Reviews were mixed, with Mary Kenny in the Daily Mail full of praise for dialogue which combined the idiomatic drollness of Les Dawson with the refinement of Jean Anouilh; whereas ''The Guardian'''s Stanley Reynolds thought it "padded out with vulgar speeches...Lines delivered as if they were heroic truths, as if they were not only great gems of wit but also terribly socially significant." More recently, Screenonline called the play "a slight but touching romance that was as much about the downs as the ups of young love."

References

"Happy since I Met You (1981)".
Brandwood, Neil. (31 March 2011). "Victoria Wood: The Biography". Random House.
"BFI Screenonline: Wood, Victoria (1953-) Biography".

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

british-television-plays 1981-plays plays-by-victoria-wood

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