| ALAN AYCKBOURN |
Sir Alan Ayckbourn was born in London in 1939, and has worked in theatre all his life. He has
undertaken various roles including actor, writer and director, encouraged by his mentor Stephen
Joseph, who founded the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. Almost all of his plays written
to date have been first performed at this theatre, of which he is Artistic Director, and many
subsequently produced in the West End or at the National Theatre. A prolific writer of comedy
plays satirising middle-class manners, he is considered one of the world's pre-eminent
dramatists. His first West End hit, Relatively Speaking, opened in 1967, and major plays since
have included Absurd Person Singular (1974); The Norman Conquests (1975); Bedroom Farce
(1977); Just Between Ourselves (1978); A Chorus Of Disapproval (1985); Woman In Mind (1986);
A Small Family Business (1987); Man Of The Moment (1990); Things We Do For Love (1998);
Comic Potential (1999); and Private Fears in Public Places (2004). He has won numerous awards
for his plays, which have been translated into 35 languages, and are performed worldwide on
stage and television. Seven of his plays have been performed on Broadway. Also an
accomplished director of his own and other plays, works he has directed include A View From
The Bridge, starring Michael Gambon, and the USA premiere of his and Andrew Lloyd Weber's
musical, By Jeeves. Sir Alan Ayckbourn has received many honorary degrees, is Freeman of the
Borough of Scarborough, was appointed CBE in 1987 and knighted in 1997 for his services to
theatre. His most recent play is Improbable Fiction (2007).
undertaken various roles including actor, writer and director, encouraged by his mentor Stephen
Joseph, who founded the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough. Almost all of his plays written
to date have been first performed at this theatre, of which he is Artistic Director, and many
subsequently produced in the West End or at the National Theatre. A prolific writer of comedy
plays satirising middle-class manners, he is considered one of the world's pre-eminent
dramatists. His first West End hit, Relatively Speaking, opened in 1967, and major plays since
have included Absurd Person Singular (1974); The Norman Conquests (1975); Bedroom Farce
(1977); Just Between Ourselves (1978); A Chorus Of Disapproval (1985); Woman In Mind (1986);
A Small Family Business (1987); Man Of The Moment (1990); Things We Do For Love (1998);
Comic Potential (1999); and Private Fears in Public Places (2004). He has won numerous awards
for his plays, which have been translated into 35 languages, and are performed worldwide on
stage and television. Seven of his plays have been performed on Broadway. Also an
accomplished director of his own and other plays, works he has directed include A View From
The Bridge, starring Michael Gambon, and the USA premiere of his and Andrew Lloyd Weber's
musical, By Jeeves. Sir Alan Ayckbourn has received many honorary degrees, is Freeman of the
Borough of Scarborough, was appointed CBE in 1987 and knighted in 1997 for his services to
theatre. His most recent play is Improbable Fiction (2007).