Meet My Father (1965)
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New Play:
Venue:
Location:
Staging:
First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Alan Ayckbourn
Yes
Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre
Concert Room, Scarborough Library
Round
8 July 1965
8 July 1965
11 August 1965
Yes
Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre
Concert Room, Scarborough Library
Round
8 July 1965
8 July 1965
11 August 1965
Director:
Lighting:
Stage Manager:
Lighting:
Stage Manager:
Stephen Joseph
Clive Goodhead
Valerie Fletcher
Clive Goodhead
Valerie Fletcher
Character
Greg
Gina
Philip
Sheila
Greg
Gina
Philip
Sheila
Actor
Peter King
Joanne Tope
David Jarrett
Catherine Naish
Peter King
Joanne Tope
David Jarrett
Catherine Naish
Why is this play significant?
Where to begin? Meet My Father is better known as Relatively Speaking, Alan Ayckbourn's first major West End hit and also theatre in the round in Scarborough's first West End success. The success of Relatively Speaking came at a crucial time for Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre when, following Stephen Joseph's death - its future Wass in their balance. The royalties from Relatively Speaking helped keep the company afloat and its success paved the way for Alan Ayckbourn to assume his role as Stephen's successor in 1972.Notes
○ Meet My Father was the original title for Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking; the playwright's first major West End hit. The title was altered for the West End production in 1967 as the producer Peter Bridge felt Meet My Father was "too provincial."
○ Meet My Father was the final play to be directed by Stephen Joseph before his death in October 1967. He did live long enough to see his protege enjoy his first West End success with the same play, which set Alan Ayckbourn on the path to take over as Artistic Director of Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre in 1972.
○ Meet My Father was originally titled Meet My Mother before Alan Ayckbourn decided to change just prior to advertising materials being produced.
○ Meet My Father was presented without an interval.
○ Notoriously, Stephen Joseph extensively cut about a third of the script for performance and this has never been performed again. When the play was optioned for the West End, Alan Ayckbourn gave the producer Peter Bridge the uncut original manuscript - which became Relatively Speaking - rather than Stephen Joseph's edited version.
○ Meet My Father was the final play to be directed by Stephen Joseph before his death in October 1967. He did live long enough to see his protege enjoy his first West End success with the same play, which set Alan Ayckbourn on the path to take over as Artistic Director of Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre in 1972.
○ Meet My Father was originally titled Meet My Mother before Alan Ayckbourn decided to change just prior to advertising materials being produced.
○ Meet My Father was presented without an interval.
○ Notoriously, Stephen Joseph extensively cut about a third of the script for performance and this has never been performed again. When the play was optioned for the West End, Alan Ayckbourn gave the producer Peter Bridge the uncut original manuscript - which became Relatively Speaking - rather than Stephen Joseph's edited version.
Links
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.