Absurd Person Singular (1972)

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Alan Ayckbourn
Yes

Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre
Concert Room, Scarborough Library
Round

26 June 1972
26 June 1972
16 September 1972
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Alan Ayckbourn

Jennifer Smith
David Millard
David Hayward
Sue Rogers
Character
Jane Hopcroft
Sidney Hopcroft
Ronald Brewster-Wright
Marion Brewster-Wright
Eva Jackson
Geoffrey Jackson
Actor
Philippa Urquhart
Piers Rogers
Chistopher Godwin
Matyelok Gibbs
Jennifer Piercey
Ray Jewers

Why is this play significant?

Inarguably one of Alan Ayckbourn's most famous and popular plays. It cemented not only his place as a popular playwright but also a playwright willing to push boundaries in terms of playwriting and structure. It cemented Alan;'s place as the foremost tragicomic writer of his generation and is the first of his 'off-stage' plays with the action taking place in the less obvious location of the kitchens over three Christmases. It went onto hold their longest contiguous run of any Ayckbourn play in both the West End and on Broadway. It is probably the most produced play worldwide to have originated in Scarborough.

Notes

Absurd Person Singular was, unusually, rehearsed largely in Sheffield as the company preceded the Scarborough season with a production of David Campton's Carmilla at the Crucible theatre.
Whilst many clever theories have been put forward as to the title's relevance to the play, there actually is no connection. The play was intended for an entirely different unwritten play by the author but as he liked the title so much, he just decided to use it for his next play.
The play was originally set in three living rooms and Alan wrote about half of the play in the living rooms, before realising the play was better set 'off-stage' in the kitchens; it thus became his first 'off-stage' play. Full details of how the play came to be rewritten can be found on Alan Ayckbourn's Official website here.
The first performance ran to over three hours, leading to Alan Ayckbourn to cut half-an-hour of material that same night. This is the only time the original uncut version of the play has been performed. The play performed today is based on the edited version performed from the second night onwards at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre.

Links

All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.