Alan Ayckbourn is a celebrated English playwright, renowned for his prolific output and innovative approach to theatre. His works delve into the complexities of human relationships and societal norms, often employing sharp wit alongside moments of profound unease. Ayckbourn masterfully utilizes dramatic structure to reveal characters' hidden motivations and the absurdities of everyday life. His influence on contemporary British drama is undeniable, with his plays widely performed and translated across the globe.
The return of Murray to his village after seventeen years stirs up unresolved tensions and buried secrets. Once celebrated as a military hero, he faces resentment due to his controversial past, including allegations of arson and betrayal. His arrival with a new wife reignites conflicts, particularly with his ex-fiancée, as the community grapples with the fallout from long-standing grievances. As the truth unfolds, the village becomes a battleground for old rivalries and emerging revelations.
From the story of the teenage Lucy in Invisible Friends who revives her
childhood imaginary friend when things get difficult at home, onto the
storytellers in My Very Own Story and This Is Where We Came In and, finally,
to young Ernie who 'illucinates' all sorts of wild and weird happenings with
astonishing results.
Features ten plays, which have been selected from the BT National Connections scheme, in which some contemporary playwrights in the UK and Europe were commissioned by the Royal National Theatre to produce original drama specifically for young people. The scripts are specifically written for 11-16+.
In this whimsical fantasy, a couple's outdoor party is disrupted by their ex-son-in-law, who is drowning his divorce sorrows in a summer house while illustrating a new edition of Beauty and the Beast. When he accidentally brings Belle to life, she can only understand English through song, leading to comedic chaos in the garden. The story unfolds with a mix of fantastical elements and relatable characters, showcasing the interplay between fairy tale magic and the complexities of real life. Featuring three women and five men, it promises humor and enchantment.
Annie, the Cinderella of the family, lives in the shabby Victorian vicarage type house where the family was brought up. Reg, her brother, and his wife Sarah come to stay for a week end so that she may go away for a "rest". The general idea is that Annie ought to pair off with Tom. But for this weekend it is Norman, the raffish assistant librarian husband of Annie's sister Ruth, with whom she planned to go. They were to meet secretly but Norman turns up early. When Annie calls the whole thing off Norman decides to stay on at the house and gets roaring drunk.|3 women, 3 men
With an Introduction by the author. "The prolific master of suburban mayhem has still got his mojo."--Evening Standard Time of My Life "One of Mr. Ayckbourn's most virtuosic experiments in postmodern narrative."--Wall Street Journal Neighbourhood Watch "Ayckbourn's tartly topical, pitch-black comedy, a startling evocation of the panic induced by nightmarish notions of "broken Britain"... An arresting, nastily comic cautionary tale."--The Times Arrivals and Departures "Ayckbourn's genius lies in his ability to write what you might call 'sad comedies, ' uproariously funny farces that are at second glance deeply serious, at times despairing portraits of modern middle-class life and its discontents. On occasion, as in Arrivals & Departures, he puts the despair at centre stage, and what results is a play that at bottom can no longer be called a comedy at all."--Wall Street Journal Hero's Welcome "Alan Ayckbourn is the poet laureate of missed connections. In play after pensive, droll and acid play, Ayckbourn anatomizes how we fail to understand and trust our lovers and friends."--Guardian A Brief History of Women "As A Brief History of Women follows Spates at twenty year intervals through the next sixty years, it becomes progressively more funny, more tender, more Ayckbourn... Ayckbourn knows that moments of real connection between people are hard-won and hard to forget."--The Times
Set against the backdrop of a suburban house adjacent to a recreation field, the story revolves around Peter, his fiancée Joan, and the dynamics with Graham, who is drawn to Joan. Tensions arise when Joan becomes involved with Leonard, Mrs. Baker's poetic and awkward brother, provoking Graham's jealousy and bullying behavior. The narrative explores themes of love, rivalry, and the complexities of relationships among two women and three men, highlighting the contrasting personalities and the emotional entanglements that unfold.
When Miss Pickhart visits the illusionist Ratchet on official Town Hall business, she discovers a sinister secret. Alone in the cellar after Ratchet is called away, she confronts the ghost of Rosalinda who met an untimely death during the saw the woman in half trick. 2 women, 1 man
The first volume of Alan Ayckbourn's collected work contains his morality
plays from the 1980s. It includes the plays A Chorus of Disapproval, A Small
Family Business, Henceforward . . ., and Man of the Moment.
