Sisterly Feelings (1979)

Author:
New Play:

Venue:
Location:
Staging:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Design:
Music:
Alan Ayckbourn
Yes

Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round
Main house (Round)
Three-sided (thrust)

10 January 1979
11 January 1979
10 February 1979

Alan Ayckbourn
Jeremy Turner
Paul Todd
Stage Manager:
Deputy Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Janet Fox
Christopher Gray
Dee Marsden
Isobel Nimmo
Sarah Wynter
Frank Lynch
Character
Ralph
Abigail
Dorcas
Melvyn
Len
Rita
Patrick
Brenda
Simon
Stafford
Murphy
Actor
Staney Page
Alison Skilbeck
Judy Bridgland
Robin Bowerman
John Arthur
Shelagh Stuttle
James Bate
Lavinia Bertram
Robin Herford
Robin Murphy
Christopher Gray

Why is this play significant?

The first of Alan Ayckbourn's plays to feature a random element. The toss of a coin dictated which of two act I, scene ii scenes were played, whilst an actor's choice dictated the choice of which of two act II, scene I scenes was paged. Famously on the first performance, the coin landed on its edge and rolled down the vom off-stage! The play also saw most of one block of seating removed to create a hill down which a race was run and an actor free-cycled down, across the stage and out!

Notes

○ Sisterly Feelings was advertised as opening week commencing 1 January 1979, however it is not known whether this was an error or whether the scale of the piece and the overlap of the rehearsal period with the winter programme, saw its production run slightly delayed. The play actually opened on 10 January 1979.
○ This is the first of Alan Ayckbourn's plays to involve an element of chance. In this case, a coin-flip decides the choice of two possible Act 1, Scene 2s and the actors themselves choose from two possible Act 2, Scene 1s.
○ Sisterly Feelings was not presented in-the-round, but three-sided as one side of seating had to be removed to make room for the hill which features so prominently in the play.

Links

All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.