Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website: Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains several sections dealing with questions frequently posed to the website. If you are looking for FAQs relating to Alan Ayckbourn and his plays, they can be found in the Biography section of the website.
If you have any other questions, please contact the website via the Contact Us Page.

The Web-site

1) Where is the information for the web-site drawn from?
The information is drawn from a number of sources (programmes, critical works, interviews with Alan Ayckbourn etc), predominantly held in the Digital Ayckbourn Archive (held by Simon Murgatroyd), the Ayckbourn Archive held at the University Of York and The Bob Watson Archive at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough. Where possible it has been cross-checked for accuracy.
2) Is the website part of the Stephen Joseph Theatre?
This is an independent web-site, which is endorsed by Alan Ayckbourn and administered by Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist and Website Administrator, Simon Murgatroyd. Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website is independent of the Stephen Joseph Theatre.
3) Where can I find information on specific Alan Ayckbourn plays?
Click on the Plays link at the top of the page to visit the Plays section for in-depth information on the plays.

Copyright

1) Can I reproduce photographs from this website?
No. All images are copyright of predominantly the copyright of Scarborough Theatre Trust or the respective photographer and should not be reprinted or stored in any format without express permission.
2) Who should I contact regarding reproducing images from the site?
Any enquiries regarding photograph reproduction should be directed to this website via the Contact Us page.
3) Can I reproduce articles from this site?
Not without the permission of the copyright holder, generally Simon Murgatroyd or Alan Ayckbourn. Any enquiries about reproducing articles for publication in any form should be emailed to this website via the Contact Us page. This website is happy to see articles reprinted, providing permission is sought and copyright is respected; there may occasionally be a nominal charge to reprint certain articles.

How Do I Obtain...?

1) How can I contact Alan Ayckbourn?
Any correspondence to Alan Ayckbourn should be sent to: Alan Ayckbourn, C/O Stephen Joseph Theatre, Westborough, Scarborough, YO11 1JW.
2) Can the web-site supply me with reviews or articles on Alan Ayckbourn and his work?
Generally no. Requests for reviews and articles should generally be directed at the publication they were printed in. If you do have enquiries though, please contact the website via the Contact Us page.
3) How do I obtain copies of Alan Ayckbourn’s work on video or audio cassette?
With difficulty. Generally most of the television / film adaptations of Alan Ayckbourn's plays have not been released on DVD or video. Full details of what is available can be found at the Film, TV & Radio section.
4) How do I obtain a specific play?
All published plays by Alan Ayckbourn are kept permanently in stock at the Stephen Joseph Theatre (www.sjt.uk.com) and can also be ordered from this website via The Ayckbourn Shop. Plays published by Samuel French can also be purchased through their website at www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk.
5) How do I obtain out of print works on Alan Ayckbourn?
Again, with difficulty. The best source is www.abebooks.com, Ebay auctions; amazon; second-hand bookstores.
With regard to the above FAQs, Wendy Brockman emailed me with this suggestion: "People (can) try their local library's "inter-library" loan system. Public & University library shelves are full of out-of-print treasures and even our tiny library (Connecticut, USA) can request books (videos etc.)from all over the country."

Productions

1) Can I advertise a professional or amateur Alan Ayckbourn production on the site?
The site carries submitted listings for professional and amateur productions of Alan's work. Please send pertinent details of the play (title, venue, dates, website via the Contact Us page.
2) Does the web-site hold details of current productions of Alan Ayckbourn’s work?
The website endeavours to carry basic production details of professional and amateur productions of Alan Ayckbourn's work. However, this list is dependent on being supplied with the relevant information. We are not automatically supplied with this information by the license holders. If the information is not supplied by the producing company, it obviously won't be on the list.

Film, TV And Radio Adaptations

1) How do I get hold of a particular film / audio adaptation of Alan’s work?
With difficulty. Most of adaptations of Alan’s Ayckbourn work have not been released for sale. Further details about this issue can be found in the Film, TV & Radio section.
2) Does the website, The Bob Watson Archive at the Stephen Joseph Theatre or the Ayckbourn Archive at the University Of York, hold copies of the film / audio adaptations of Alan Ayckbourn’s work?
No. None of these archive holds these items nor has access to them.

Running The Web-site

1) Who administers Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website?
The site is administered, compiled, researched and maintained by Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist Simon Murgatroyd.
2) How did it develop?
Aside from a life-long interest in Alan Ayckbourn's work; my MA specialised in Alan's plays, culminating in a 65,000 word dissertation. As a result of the two years spent researching the plays, I realised I had a lot of potentially useful information for people interested in Alan's work. Combined with the fact that comparatively little has been published about Alan, I decided to create a web-site that could comprehensively offer information on Alan to help future students of his work and to provide a general insight into the plays and their history in 2002. Since then, the website has continued to expand and now draws information from the Ayckbourn Archive at the University Of York, The Bob Watson Archive at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, and the website's own archive.
3) How is it administered?
The web-site is generally updated on a daily basis. The aim is to announce news as it happens, whilst continually improving the site and adding new material to it.
4) What is the web-master's connection to Alan Ayckbourn and the Stephen Joseph Theatre?
I am Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist and Website Administrator and I also maintain The Bob Watson Archive at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough. Prior to this position I was the Stephen Joseph Theatre's Archivist and was also the Deputy Box Office Manager at the theatre between 1999 - 2005. Prior to joining the theatre in 1999, I was an arts journalist and critic for six years on the Scarborough Evening News. In that post, I reviewed many of Alan's world premieres and worked closely with the SJT on many features and articles.

Amateur And Professional Production Queries

1) Can you tell me if a certain play is available for production?
Generally speaking, if Samuel French has published a play, then it is available for production by amateur companies. Most of Alan's plays are available for professional production. The Plays section of the website has details of current professional and amateur availability of all of Alan Ayckbourn's plays and details about professional and amateur performing rights and licenses can be found on the Performing Rights page.
2) How do I obtain props or further information about a play I am producing?
Unfortunately I am unable to supply information about props or costumes for plays. While I may be able to answer certain queries, most of the information I hold about plays can be found on the web-site.
3) How do I obtain professional performing rights for Alan Ayckbourn's plays outside the United Kingdom?
All queries should be directed to Alan Ayckbourn's agent Tom Erhardt, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, Waverey House, 7 - 12 Noel Street, London, W1F 8GQ. Tel: 00 44 20 7287 4450. Fax: 00 44 20 7287 9128. e-mail: tom@casarotto.co.uk.