Lighting Up Time
by Peter Yeldham, Martin Worth

This humorous, touching play concerns two couples' different ways of staying married.

Ben is unhappy with his job and lifestyle and he smokes heavily.

Erica makes him "give up", gets him promoted and generally organizes his life to suit her.

He becomes incensed when he discovers her interference and sleeps with Lucy to prove his independence.

Erica comes home to find Lucy in her bed and threatens to leave with Lucy's husband, Michael.

Lucy always turns a blind eye to Michael's infidelity and when Ben asks her to bring their affair into the open she discovers she hasn't got the courage to change.

When Ben discovers that Erica is, after all, prepared to change her ways for his sake, admit her faults and he finds a new strength which enables him to fulfill himself - without cigarettes!