Alan Ayckbourn: News

	Alan Ayckbourn: General News
	Alan Ayckbourn's Final Season As Artistic Director Of The Stephen Joseph Theatre Confirmed (updated 30/06/08)
	Stephen Joseph Theatre press release The Stephen Joseph Theatre has announced details of its Autumn season which will be Alan Ayckbourn’s final season as Artistic Director. The season will open with a revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s Woman in Mind starring West End star Janie Dee. The production will be directed by Alan Ayckbourn and will run from 4 September to 4 October. Woman in Mind premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round in 1985. Alan Ayckbourn’s 72^nd play will premiere at Christmas. Awaking Beauty, a musical by Alan Ayckbourn and Denis King will open on 11 December and run until 17 January. Awaking Beauty is a contemporary twist on a fairy tale complete with sexual fantasy and lust! This is Alan Ayckbourn’s third collaboration with Denis King following Orvin – Champion of Champions (2003) and Whenever (2000). Cast details are still to be confirmed. From 16 October to 8 November the Stephen Joseph Theatre Company presents Jack Lear, a gritty re-working of Shakespeare’s King Lear by Ben Benison. In this production Jack is a fisherman who is retiring and dividing his ‘kingdom’ to his three feisty and unforgiving daughters. Jack Lear will star Barrie Rutter who will also direct. The Autumn season will be on sale from 21 July. For tickets please call the Box Office on 01723 370541.
	Love After All to feature in British Library exhibition (updated 23/06/08)
	The sole surviving manuscript of Alan Ayckbourn's second play, Love After All, is to feature in a new exhibition at the British Library looking at British Theatre between 1945 and 1968. The exhibition, running between 27 August - 30 November, is entitled The Golden Generation, New Light On British Theatre and explores the vibrancy of British theatre in the years following the end of the Second World War drawing on theatrical manuscripts, letters, photographs, and sound recordings. Love After All, presumed lost since the 1960s, was discovered in the Lord Chamberlain's Collection at the British Library last year and the original manuscript will be on display in the exhibition. Initial details can be found by clicking here with more details to follow.
	*Final lost play Double Hitch* found (updated 06/06/08)**
	Double Hitch, the final ‘lost’ Ayckbourn play has now been restored to the Alan Ayckbourn script collection at The Bob Watson Archive. Last year, the archive found the last of Alan Ayckbourn’s full length, canonical plays Love After All. As a result of publicity from this find, one of the original actresses who appeared in Double Hitch contacted the archive offering permission to copy what is believed to the only extant copy of the one act play, which is acknowledged by Alan Ayckbourn but not considered part of the Ayckbourn canon. Double Hitch is classed as a Grey Play, which is an Ayckbourn play that has been produced but never published, is not available for production and is not considered part of the official canon. Double Hitch’s only performance was by Scarborough Theatre Guild in the winter of 1960 in a production directed by Margaret Boden and which including Ken Boden in the cast. It was performed in a double bill with Follow The Lover, another Grey Play which was restored to the archive in 2006. This news means that The Bob Watson Archive is the only public accessible archive in the world which has a copy of every acknowledged Ayckbourn play.
	The Things That Go Bump backstage tours (updated: 06/06/08)
	For those visiting Scarborough this summer and wanting a glimpse behind the scenes of Alan Ayckbourn's The Things That Go Bump season of plays, the Stephen Joseph Theatre has arranged a number of special backstage tours. The tours offer a look backstage including a visit to one of the Bump sets and a chance to learn about the plays and their production. The tours are taking place on Saturday 21 & 28 June and 5 July at 11am and Monday 4 & 11 August at 1pm and cost £5, which includes one of the Bump programmes. Further details can be found here and places can be booked by calling the box office on 01723 370541.
	Alan Ayckbourn To Step Down As SJT Artistic Director (Updated: 02/06/08)
	The new Artistic Director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, has been confirmed as Chris Monks. He will officially take over the position on 1 April 2009 from Alan Ayckbourn, who announced in May 2007 he would be stepping down as Artistic Director of the theatre, a position he has held since 1972. The official statement is printed below. Extensive and ongoing coverage of this story can be found by clicking here: Sue Truefitt, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, would now like to confirm the appointment of Chris Monks as Artistic Director of the theatre. This is to succeed Alan Ayckbourn in the new year, ready for the start of the 09/10 season. Chris Monks is currently a freelance theatre director and writer and an Associate Director at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. Chris Monks says of his new appointment: “I feel honoured and excited to follow Stephen Joseph and Alan Ayckbourn, to provide the artistic vision for this renowned theatre company. It’s a dream come true and I can’t wait to start. Moving back to Yorkshire, I’ll be returning to my roots: I was born and brought up in Sheffield, studied in Leeds, my family spent their holidays in Filey and Bridlington and my cousin lives in Whitby.” A further press release will follow in the Autumn season.
	The Norman Conquests In London (updated 19/05/08)
	The Norman Conquests trilogy will be revived at the Old Vic Theatre, London, between 11 September and 20 December 2008. This will be its first professional major London production since its acclaimed London premiere in 1974. Click here for more details and the full press release.
	The 72nd Play (updated 30/04/08)
	In an interview for the New Vic Theatre's summer season brochure, Alan Ayckbourn has confirmed he is working on his 72nd play. The interview states "he tells us he is 'currently working on number 72'"; this is mentioned twice in the interview, although no other details are revealed. Watch this space for more news as it is announced.
	The Things That Go Bump season at the Stephen Joseph Theatre (updated 10/04/08)
	Details of Alan Ayckbourn's final summer season as Artistic Director have been confirmed. He will direct the world premiere of his new play Life And Beth and the revival of Snake In The Grass. Richard Derrington will direct the revival of Haunting Julia. The latter will star Ian Hogg, Adrian McLoughlin and Richard Stacey and will be in repertory from 22 May to 23 August. Snake In The Grass will star Susie Blake, Liza Goddard and Ruth Gibson and will be in repertory from 5 June to 22 August. The two casts will unite for Life And Beth which will be in repertory from 17 July to 30 August. Follow-up talks are scheduled and are listed in the Calendar section and all the directors and cast will be involved in a series of question and answer sessions, details of which can be found at the Stephen Joseph Theatre's website. Tickets are on sale to the public from 12 April.
	50th Anniversary (updated 08/01/08)
	Although a year away, 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of Alan Ayckbourn's debut as a playwright. On 30 July 1959, The Square Cat was premiered at the Library Theatre, Scarborough. The website will carry details of any events marking the anniversary and welcomes details of any events / productions being planned, contact Simon by email at: simon.murgatroyd@sjt.uk.com.
	Ayckbourn In The West End (updated: 01/01/08)
	The moratorium on West End productions of Alan Ayckbourn's plays is definitely over according to an interview with Alan in the Sunday Telegraph on 25 November 2007. In the interview, Alan confirms that he is happy for revivals of his plays to be staged in the West End, but also adds he won't be taking his new plays into London.
	Love After All found
	The final 'lost' canonical Ayckbourn play Love After All has been found by the efforts of The Bob Watson Archive at the Stephen Joseph Theatre and The British Library. Ayckbourn's second play, written as Roland Allen, has been presumed lost or destroyed for more than 40 years and was found in the Lord Chamberlain's Collection at the British Library. A copy is now held by the Stephen Joseph Theatre. Click here for the full press release.

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