Alan Ayckbourn: News / What's On
Podcasts & Audio Resources Now on Wordpress
Podcast and audio resources relating to Alan Ayckbourn and his plays have now been moved to a safe on the Alan Ayckbourn Blog. From this page, you can listen to resources about the playwright, his life and his work. Click here.
Casting Announced For Welcome to the Family
The cast has been announced for the first of Alan Ayckbourn's 2023 world premieres. Alan Ayckbourn will direct Tanya-Loretta Dee, Terence Booth, Caroline Langrishe and Bill Champion in the world premiere production of Welcome to the Family at The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere, which is running from 12 - 27 May 2023. Bookings can be made here.
Archival Talk at Scarborough's Beeforth's Hive
ALan Ayckbourn's Archivist is holding a talk on Tuesday 14 March at 2pm at Beeforth's Hive on Scarborough's South Cliff called The Esplanade Theatre and the Theatre That Never Were looking at some of the proposed but never realised proposals for new homes for Scarborough's theatre-in-the-round during the 1970s. Update: Fully booked.
Writing Absurd Person Singular Website
Just a reminder that the website dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Absurd Person Singular and the discoveries in 2022 which shed new light on how it was written is still up and running. It can be found at http://writingabsurdpersonsingular.alanayckbourn.net.
Two New Ayckbourn Plays for 2023 Announced
Alan Ayckbourn will have two world premiere during 2023 with his 88th play Welcome to the Family at The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere, from 12 - 27 May and Constant Companions at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, from 7 September to 7 October. Further details can be found at www.oldlaundrytheatre.co.uk and www.sjt.uk.com.
How The Other Half Loves announced by The Mill at Sonning
Alan Ayckbourn's classic 1969 comedy How The Other Half Loves has been announced as this summer's production by The Mill at Sonning. It will be directed by Robin Herford and run from 10 August to 23 September at the theatre which has a long history of acclaimed Ayckbourn productions. Click here for more details.
Unveiling Scarborough's Sea Wall Heritage Trail
On 6 December 2022, Alan Ayckbourn inaugurated the Sea Wall Heritage Trail in his hometown of Scarborough. It consists of 31 plaques running along the Marine Drive telling the history and heritage of Scarborough - which Sir Alan is included within. Find out more on the Scarborough Maritime Heritage Society website and on the Ayckbourn YouTube Channel.
A Special Ayckbourn Weekend Announced For 2023
The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, has announced The Crafty Art of Ayckbourn for 15 - 17 September 2023. This weekend with the company's Director Emeritus, Alan Ayckbourn, will include a rehearsed reading of his previously cancelled and unseen play Truth Will Out, a masterclass celebrating the 21st anniversary of his book The Crafty Art of Playmaking as well as a chance to see his new show, Constant Companions. All events can be booked separately or as part of packages which include exclusive extras such as a gala event with Alan and his company . Click here for more details.
Alan Ayckbourn & The SJT Sub-Site Relaunched
Following my decision to step down from my role as Archivist of the Stephen Joseph Theatre, the Alan Ayckbourn & The SJT sub-site has now been revised and relaunched to now concentrate on Stephen Joseph & Alan Ayckbourn's tenures as Artistic Directors. It is a comprehensive guide to all plays, events, people and other related material at the SJT from 1955 to 2009. Click here.
Unseen Ayckbourn: 2022 Edition Out Now
The latest edition of Unseen Ayckbourn by Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist, Simon Murgatroyd, is out now. Completely updated and revised for 2022, the book looks at Alan Ayckbourn's unproduced, unpublished, unwritten and withdrawn works. Further details can be found here.
Official Ayckbourn YouTube Channel Launched
The website has now launched an official Ayckbourn YouTube Channel, administered and hosted by Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist, Simon Murgatroyd, featuring original content on the playwright and his plays as well as curated collections. You can find the channel here.
Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present Published
Alan Ayckbourn's 2019 play Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present has now been published by Samuel French as a play-text and is also available to produce by professional and amateur companies. The script can be ordered via Concord Theatricals.
Alan Ayckbourn Part of Concord Theatricals Author Collections
Alan Ayckbourn is part of the Concord Theatricals' Authors Collection which has links to all the plays which can be performed as well as all the published play scripts. It is a useful resource for any company thinking of performing an Ayckbourn play or for buying play scripts. Further details here.
Alan Ayckbourn's first novel, The Divide
Alan Ayckbourn's debut novel, The Divide, is now available to buy in softback and limited edition hardback. Published by PS Publishing, The Divide is a tale of a dystopian world decimated by a disease where women have become fatally contagious to men. The Divide marks Alan Ayckbourn's first foray into prose fiction and is published by PS Publishing.
Podcast and audio resources relating to Alan Ayckbourn and his plays have now been moved to a safe on the Alan Ayckbourn Blog. From this page, you can listen to resources about the playwright, his life and his work. Click here.
Casting Announced For Welcome to the Family
The cast has been announced for the first of Alan Ayckbourn's 2023 world premieres. Alan Ayckbourn will direct Tanya-Loretta Dee, Terence Booth, Caroline Langrishe and Bill Champion in the world premiere production of Welcome to the Family at The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere, which is running from 12 - 27 May 2023. Bookings can be made here.
Archival Talk at Scarborough's Beeforth's Hive
ALan Ayckbourn's Archivist is holding a talk on Tuesday 14 March at 2pm at Beeforth's Hive on Scarborough's South Cliff called The Esplanade Theatre and the Theatre That Never Were looking at some of the proposed but never realised proposals for new homes for Scarborough's theatre-in-the-round during the 1970s. Update: Fully booked.
Writing Absurd Person Singular Website
Just a reminder that the website dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Absurd Person Singular and the discoveries in 2022 which shed new light on how it was written is still up and running. It can be found at http://writingabsurdpersonsingular.alanayckbourn.net.
Two New Ayckbourn Plays for 2023 Announced
Alan Ayckbourn will have two world premiere during 2023 with his 88th play Welcome to the Family at The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere, from 12 - 27 May and Constant Companions at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, from 7 September to 7 October. Further details can be found at www.oldlaundrytheatre.co.uk and www.sjt.uk.com.
How The Other Half Loves announced by The Mill at Sonning
Alan Ayckbourn's classic 1969 comedy How The Other Half Loves has been announced as this summer's production by The Mill at Sonning. It will be directed by Robin Herford and run from 10 August to 23 September at the theatre which has a long history of acclaimed Ayckbourn productions. Click here for more details.
Unveiling Scarborough's Sea Wall Heritage Trail
On 6 December 2022, Alan Ayckbourn inaugurated the Sea Wall Heritage Trail in his hometown of Scarborough. It consists of 31 plaques running along the Marine Drive telling the history and heritage of Scarborough - which Sir Alan is included within. Find out more on the Scarborough Maritime Heritage Society website and on the Ayckbourn YouTube Channel.
A Special Ayckbourn Weekend Announced For 2023
The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, has announced The Crafty Art of Ayckbourn for 15 - 17 September 2023. This weekend with the company's Director Emeritus, Alan Ayckbourn, will include a rehearsed reading of his previously cancelled and unseen play Truth Will Out, a masterclass celebrating the 21st anniversary of his book The Crafty Art of Playmaking as well as a chance to see his new show, Constant Companions. All events can be booked separately or as part of packages which include exclusive extras such as a gala event with Alan and his company . Click here for more details.
Alan Ayckbourn & The SJT Sub-Site Relaunched
Following my decision to step down from my role as Archivist of the Stephen Joseph Theatre, the Alan Ayckbourn & The SJT sub-site has now been revised and relaunched to now concentrate on Stephen Joseph & Alan Ayckbourn's tenures as Artistic Directors. It is a comprehensive guide to all plays, events, people and other related material at the SJT from 1955 to 2009. Click here.
Unseen Ayckbourn: 2022 Edition Out Now
The latest edition of Unseen Ayckbourn by Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist, Simon Murgatroyd, is out now. Completely updated and revised for 2022, the book looks at Alan Ayckbourn's unproduced, unpublished, unwritten and withdrawn works. Further details can be found here.
Official Ayckbourn YouTube Channel Launched
The website has now launched an official Ayckbourn YouTube Channel, administered and hosted by Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist, Simon Murgatroyd, featuring original content on the playwright and his plays as well as curated collections. You can find the channel here.
Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present Published
Alan Ayckbourn's 2019 play Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present has now been published by Samuel French as a play-text and is also available to produce by professional and amateur companies. The script can be ordered via Concord Theatricals.
Alan Ayckbourn Part of Concord Theatricals Author Collections
Alan Ayckbourn is part of the Concord Theatricals' Authors Collection which has links to all the plays which can be performed as well as all the published play scripts. It is a useful resource for any company thinking of performing an Ayckbourn play or for buying play scripts. Further details here.
Alan Ayckbourn's first novel, The Divide
Alan Ayckbourn's debut novel, The Divide, is now available to buy in softback and limited edition hardback. Published by PS Publishing, The Divide is a tale of a dystopian world decimated by a disease where women have become fatally contagious to men. The Divide marks Alan Ayckbourn's first foray into prose fiction and is published by PS Publishing.
Recent Articles / Social Media
◦ The Scarborough News (8/12)Scarborough's Sea Wall Heritage Trail
◦ YouTube: Portholes in Time (7/12)
Scarborough's Sea Wall History Trail
◦ Yorkshire Times (12/11)
Unseen Ayckbourn: 2022 Edition review
◦ The Scarborough News (09/11)
Absurd Person Singular manuscript discovery
◦ absurdpersonsingular.com (10/22)
Absurd Person Singular manuscript discovery
What's On: Professional
◦ Welcome to the Family (12 - 27 May) *Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness-on-Windermere
◦ How The Other Half Loves (10 Aug - 23 Sep)
The Mill at Sonning
◦ Snake in the Grass (22 - 26 August)
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
◦ Constant Companions (7 Sep - 7 Oct) *
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
◦ Truth Will Out (Rehearsed reading) (17 Sep) *
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
* Directed by Alan Ayckbourn
What's On: Events
◦ Ayckbourn's Gardens (TBC July)Italian Gardens, South Cliff, Scarborough (Talk with Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist)
◦ The Esplanade Theatre & Theatres That Never Were (TBC August)
Scarborough Civic Society (Talk with Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist)
◦ National Heritage Week talk (TBC September)
Beeforth's Hive, South Cliff, Scarborough (Talk with Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist)
◦ The Crafty Art of Playmaking (15 Sep)
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
◦ Truth Will Out - Rehearsed reading (17 Sep)
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
◦ The Crafty Art of Ayckbourn (15 - 17 Sep)
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
◦ Alan Ayckbourn Post-Show Q&A (21 Sep)
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
What's On: Multimedia
◦ Way Upstream (ongoing)Netflix (UK)
Please note, the website no longer lists amateur productions. Click here.