Alan_Ayckbourn

{{Refimprove|date=March 2007}}
{{Infobox Writer
| name = Sir Alan Ayckbourn [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
| image =
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1939|4|12|def=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Hampstead]], [[London]]
| death_date =
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| occupation = Playwright and director
| nationality = British
| period = 1959 – present
| genre =
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| debut_works = 1959 ''The Square Cat''
| influences =
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}}
'''Sir Alan Ayckbourn''' [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (born [[April 12]], [[1939]]) is a popular and prolific [[England|English]] [[playwright]].

==Life==
With a resume of over seventy plays in which forty have been played at the National Theatre or in the West End, Alan Ayckbourn remains England’s most successful living playwright. Even with his incredible success, awards, and honours like The Evening Standard Award, the prestigious Laurence Oliver Award, and being Knighted, Alan Ayckbourn modestly tries to refrain from a celebrity status. He embraces anonymity despite all of his success and biographers attempt to illuminate his fulfilling life. <ref>{{cite journal
| last = Gibson
| first = Melissa
| title = Alan Ayckbourn: Grinning At the Edge
| journal = Theatre Journal
| date = 2002
| url = http://links.jstor.org
| accessdate = 2007-12-10 }}
</ref>

Ayckbourn was born in [[Hampstead]], [[London]]. His mother Irene Worley was a writer of short stories who published successfully under the name of "Mary James". His father, Irene's second husband Horace Ayckbourn, was a distinguished orchestral violinist, at one time deputy leader of the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]. His parents, who separated shortly after [[World War II]], never formally married, and Ayckbourn's mother divorced her ''first'' husband in order to marry again in 1948<ref>[http://www.alanayckbourn.net/Biography.htm Biography at the Alan Ackbourn website] accessed [[27 June]] [[2007]]</ref><ref>Allen (2001), p. 9</ref>.

Ayckbourn wrote his first play at Wisborough Lodge prep school when he was about 10. While attending prep school as a boarder his mother wrote to him to tell him she was getting married to Cecil Pye, who was a bank manager, and when he was at home for the holidays his new family consisted of his mother, his stepfather and Christopher, his stepfather's son by an earlier marriage. It seems Cecil and Irene were not a happy couple. Paul Allen has compared characters and themes in Ayckbourn's mature plays with his childhood experience of several unconventional relationships and an unhappy marriage<ref>see Allen (2001), chapter 1</ref>.

He attended [[Haileybury and Imperial Service College|Haileybury]], and while studying there he toured [[Europe]] and [[United States|America]] with the school Shakespeare company.

In 1957, Ayckbourn married his first wife Christine Roland, together having two sons, Steven and Philip. Alan’s second marriage was to Heather Stoney in 1997<ref>[http://www.alanayckbourn.net/20%20Facts.htm 20 Facts about Alan Ayckbourn] accessed [[27 June]] [[2007]]</ref>.

===Private Life===
Alan Ayckbourn’s plays are always compared to certain events in his life. Biographers are always trying to analyze Alan Ayckbourn, through the characters in his plays. In Paul Allen’s biography on Ayckbourn, Ayckbourn is compared to a character named Dafydd, in A Chorus of Disapproval. It is hard not to wonder, did Ayckbourn “feel himself in trouble?” Had he “become seriously involved with another actress,” which obviously “threatened his relationship with Heather,” his current wife (Gibson)? It could be possible that Ayckbourn had written his plays with himself and his own issues in mind, but seeing that Ayckbourn is a very well guarded and private figure it is hard to imagine himself exposing his own personal life to the readers of his plays. Biographers can try to psychoanalyze his works, but seeing that Heather and Ayckbourn are still currently married proves that his play A Chorus of Disapproval, did not reflect his own image directly.

==Career==
On leaving school at 17 his theatrical career started immediately, with an introduction to Sir [[Donald Wolfit]] by his French master. Ayckbourn joined Wolfit on tour as an [[Stage management|assistant stage manager]] and [[actor]] for three weeks.

In 1957, Ayckbourn employed by the director Stephen Joseph as an acting stage manager (a stage manager with acting roles) at the Library Theatre, [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]]. In 1959 he played Stanley in [[Harold Pinter]]'s self-directed second production of ''The Birthday Party''.

After [[Ronnie Barker]] played Lord Slingsby-Craddock in the London production of Ayckbourn's ''Mr Whatnot'' in 1964, Ayckbourn collaborated on the scripts of Barker's television series for [[London Weekend Television|LWT]] ''Hark at Barker'' (in which Barker played Lord Rustless). Ayckbourn used the pseudonym "Peter Caulfield" because he was under exclusive contract to the [[BBC]] at the time. The London production of another early play, ''Relatively Speaking'' in 1967 helped to launch [[Richard Briers]]' career, and also featured [[Michael Hordern]] and [[Celia Johnson]].

Ayckbourn has written and produced seventy full-length plays in Scarborough and London and is the artistic director of the [[Stephen Joseph Theatre]] in Scarborough. All but four of his plays have received their first performance at this theatre. More than 40 have subsequently been produced in the [[West End theatre|West End]], at the [[Royal National Theatre]] or by the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] since his first hit ''[[Relatively Speaking]]'' opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1967.

Major successes include ''[[Absurd Person Singular]]'', ''[[The Norman Conquests]]'' trilogy, ''Bedroom Farce'', ''Just Between Ourselves'', ''A Chorus Of Disapproval'', ''[[Woman in Mind]]'', ''A Small Family Business'', ''Man Of The Moment'' and [[House & Garden (plays)|''House'' & ''Garden'']]. His plays have won numerous awards, including seven London Evening Standard Awards. They have been translated into over 35 languages and are performed on stage and television throughout the world.

Plays by Ayckbourn have also been filmed for cinema and television in English, French, Polish, German and Dutch among others. Ten of his plays have been staged on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], attracting two [[Tony Awards|Tony]] nominations. In 1991, he received a Dramalogue Critics Award for his play ''[[Henceforward...]]''. Alan received the CBE in 1987 and was knighted in 1997.

Although his plays have received major West End productions almost from the beginning of his writing career, and hence have been reviewed in [[United Kingdom newspapers|British newspapers]], Ayckbourn's work was for years routinely dismissed as being too slight for serious study. Recently, scholars have begun to view Ayckbourn as an important commentator on the lifestyles of the British [[suburb]]an [[middle class]], and as a stylistic innovator who experiments with theatrical styles within the boundaries set by popular tastes.

As well as writing, Ayckbourn also acts as director, both of his own plays and of other writers. In 1987 he directed four works in each of the auditoria of the Royal National Theatre, using a stock company for all four plays which included established performers like Michael Gambon, Polly Adams and Simon Cadell. Arthur Miller's ''A View From the Bridge'' was performed in the Cottesloe, the farce "Tons of Money" by Will Evans and Valentine (with adaptations by Ayckbourn) was performed in the Lyttelton, 'Tis Pity She's A Whore was performed in the Olivier and his own ''A Small Family Business'' was also performed in the Olivier. Ayckbourn later directed Gambon in a season at the Stephen Joseph theatre in Scarborough that included ''Othello'' and a revival of his own ''Taking Steps''. He announced in 1999 he would step back from directing other playwright's work to concentrate on his own plays; the exception being in 2002 when he directed the world premiere of [[Tim Firth]]'s 'The Safari Party' - this is the only non-Ayckbourn play he has directed since [[Rob Shearman]]'s 'Knights In Plastic Armour' in 1999.

In February 2006, he suffered a [[stroke]], and states on his website that "I am making a good recovery from my recent stroke. I received an overwhelming number of get-well cards and good wishes. I was extremely touched by the love and concern shown by so many friends, acquaintances and occasionally complete strangers", adding "Rest assured I'll be back." In September 2006 he returned to work and premièred his 70th play ''If I Were You'' at the Stephen Joseph Theatre on [[17 October]] [[2006]].

He announced on [[1 June]] [[2007]] that he would retire as artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in 2008, but would continue to direct premieres and revivals of his work at the theatre.

==Resumé==
{|
1956: Acting assistant stage manager with Donald Wolfitt's company for three weeks at Edinburgh Festival.
|-
1956 - 1957: Actor at Worthing, Leatherhead, Scarborough (see below), and Oxford
|-
|1957 - 1962: Acting assistant stage manager (1957 only) and actor (1958 - 1962) at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, Yorkshire
|-
|1962 - 1964: Associate Director, Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
|-
|1964 - 1970: Drama producer, BBC Radio, Leeds
|-
|1972 - 2008: Artistic Director, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough (formerly Library Theatre & Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round)
|-
|1986 - 1988: Associate Director, National Theatre, London
|-
|1991 - 1992: Cameron Mackintosh Professor of contemporary theatre, Oxford University
|}

==Honours and awards==

* 1973: [[Evening Standard Awards|Evening Standard Award]] Best Comedy, for ''Absurd Person Singular''
* 1974: [[Evening Standard Awards|Evening Standard Award]] Best Play, for '' The Norman Conquests''
* 1977: [[Evening Standard Awards|Evening Standard Award]] Best Play, for ''Just Between Ourselves''
* 1981: [[Honorary degree]] of Doctor of letters (Litt. D.) from [[University of Hull]]
* 1985: [[Evening Standard Awards|Evening Standard Award]] Best Comedy, for ''[[A Chorus of Disapproval]]''
* 1986: [[Laurence Olivier Award]] for best comedy, for ''A Chorus of Disapproval''
* 1987: [[Evening Standard Awards|Evening Standard Award]] Best Play, for ''A Small Family Business''
* 1987: Plays and Players Award
* 1987: [[Honorary degree]] of (Litt. D.) from [[University of Keele|Keele University]]
* 1987: [[Honorary degree]] of (Litt. D.) from [[University of Leeds]]
* 1987: Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (CBE)
* 1989: [[Evening Standard Awards|Evening Standard Award]] Best Comedy, for ''Henceforward''
* 1990: [[Evening Standard Awards|Evening Standard Award]] Best Comedy, for ''Man of the Moment''
* 1997: Knight Bachelor

==Works==
===Plays===
Some of Ayckbourn's early plays are unavailable for production.

{|
|1959||''The Square Cat'' (withdrawn)
|-
|1959||''Love After All'' (withdrawn)
|-
|1960||''Dad's Tale'' (withdrawn)
|-
|1961||''Standing Room Only'' (withdrawn)
|-
|1962||''Christmas V Mastermind'' (withdrawn)
|-
|1963||''Mr Whatnot''
|-
|1965||''[[Relatively Speaking (play)|Relatively Speaking]]'' (originally titled ''Meet My Father'')
|-
|1967||''[[The Sparrow (play)|The Sparrow]]'' (withdrawn)
|-
|1969||''How The Other Half Loves''
|-
|1970||''Family Circles'' (originally titled ''The Story So Far…'', retitled ''Me Times Me Times Me'', then ''Me Times Me'')
|-
|1971||''Time And Time Again''
|-
|1972||''[[Absurd Person Singular]]''
|-
|1973||''Table Manners'' (originally titled ''Fancy Meeting You'') (with ''Living Together'' and ''Round and Round the Garden'', forms ''[[The Norman Conquests]]'' trilogy)
|-
|1973||''[[Living Together (play)|Living Together]]'' (originally titled ''Make Yourself At Home'') (''Norman Conquests'')
|-
|1973||''Round and Round the Garden'' (''Norman Conquests'')
|-
|1974||''[[Absent Friends (play)|Absent Friends]]''
|-
|1974||''[[Confusions]]''
|-
|1975 ||''[[Jeeves (musical)]]'' (musical collaboration with [[Andrew Lloyd-Webber]], re-written 1996 as ''[[By Jeeves]]'')
|-
|1975||''[[Bedroom Farce (play)|Bedroom Farce]]''
|-
|1976||''Just Between Ourselves''
|-
|1977||''Ten Times Table''
|-
|1978||''[[Joking Apart (play)|Joking Apart]]''
|-
|1979||''Sisterly Feelings''
|-
|1979||''Taking Steps''
|-
|1980||''Suburban Strains''
|-
|1980||''[[Season's Greetings (play)|Season's Greetings]]''
|-
|1981||''[[Way Upstream]]''
|-
|1981||''Making Tracks''
|-
|1982||''Intimate Exchanges'' (a play in four scenes with sixteen possible variations depending on choices made by the characters). Turned into a movie in 1993 by director [[Alain Resnais]] (''[[Smoking/No Smoking]]''), featuring [[Pierre Arditi]] and [[Sabine Azéma]].
|-
|1983||''It Could Be Any One Of Us''
|-
|1984||''A Chorus Of Disapproval''
|-
|1985||''[[Woman in Mind]]''
|-
|1987||''A Small Family Business''
|-
|1987||''[[Henceforward...]]''
|-
|1988||''Man Of The Moment''
|-
|1988||''[[Mr A's Amazing Maze Plays]]''
|-
|1989||''[[The Revengers' Comedies]]''
|-
|1989||''Invisible Friends''
|-
|1990||''[[Body Language (play)|Body Language]]''
|-
|1990||''This Is Where We Came In''
|-
|1990||''Callisto 5'' (re-written in 1999 as ''Callisto#7'')
|-
|1991||''[[Wildest Dreams (play)|Wildest Dreams]]''
|-
|1991||''My Very Own Story''
|-
|1992||''Time Of My Life''
|-
|1992||''Dreams From A Summer House''
|-
|1994||''[[Communicating Doors]]''
|-
|1994||''Haunting Julia''
|-
|1994||''The Musical Jigsaw Play''
|-
|1995||''A Word From Our Sponsor''
|-
|1996||''The Champion Of Paribanou''
|-
|1997||''Things We Do For Love''
|-
|1998||''[[Comic Potential (play)|Comic Potential]]''
|-
|1998||''The Boy Who Fell Into A Book''
|-
|1999||''[[House & Garden (plays)|House]]'' (''House'' and ''Garden'' form a [[diptych]], to be performed simultaneously. They were published together as ''[[House & Garden (plays)|House & Garden]]'')
|-
|1999||''[[House & Garden (plays)|Garden]]''
|-
|2000||''[[Virtual Reality (play)|Virtual Reality]]''
|-
|2000||''[[Whenever (play)|Whenever]]''
|-
|2001||''Gameplan'' (''Damsels In Distress'')
|-
|2001||''Flatspin'' (''Damsels In Distress'')
|-
|2001||''[[RolePlay (play)|RolePlay]]'' (''Damsels In Distress'')
|-
|2002||''Snake In The Grass''
|-
|2002||''The Jollies''
|-
|2003||''Sugar Daddies''
|-
|2003||''Orvin - Champion Of Champions''
|-
|2003||''My Sister Sadie''
|-
|2004||''Drowning on Dry Land''
|-
|2004||''Private Fears in Public Places'' - re-staged by Ayckbourn in an extended version for the [[Orange Tree Theatre]] in May 2005, and turned into a movie (''[[Cœurs]]'') by [[Alain Resnais]] in 2006, featuring [[Pierre Arditi]], [[Sabine Azéma]], [[Laura Morante]], [[Isabelle Carré]] et [[Lambert Wilson]]
|-
|2004||''Miss Yesterday''
|-
|2005||''Improbable Fiction''
|-
|2006||''[[If I Were You]]''
|}

===Books===
* {{cite book|first=Alan|last=Ayckbourn|title=The Crafty Art of Playmaking|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|location=USA|year=2003|isbn=1-4039-6229-4}}
* {{cite book|first=Alan|last=Ayckbourn|title=The Crafty Art of Playmaking|publisher= Faber and Faber|location=UK|year=2004|isbn=0-571-21510-6}}

==References==
* {{cite book|first=Paul|last=Allen|title=Alan Ayckbourn: Grinning at the Edge|publisher=Methuen|year=2001|isbn=0-413-73120-0}}
* {{cite book|first=Paul|last=Allen|title=A Pocket Guide to Alan Ayckbourn's Plays|publisher=Faber & Faber|year=2004|isbn=0-571-21492-4}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.alanayckbourn.net The official Alan Ayckbourn website]
*{{imdb name|id=0043697|name=Alan Ayckbourn}}
*{{ibdb name|id=3933|name=Alan Ayckbourn}}
* {{contemporary writers|id=C2D9C28A1605c22C66hRk2050A6F}}
* [http://www.faber.co.uk/author_detail.html?auid=121 Alan Ayckbourn on the Faber and Faber website]
*[http://www.americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/alan_ayckbourn Alan Ayckbourn] - ''Downstage Center'' interview at [[American Theatre Wing|American Theatre Wing.org]]



{{Persondata
|NAME= Ayckbourn, Alan
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= Playwright and director
|DATE OF BIRTH= [[April 12]], [[1939]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[London]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayckbourn, Alan}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:North Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Old Haileyburians]]
[[Category:People from Scarborough]]
[[Category:People from Hampstead]]

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