The Safari Party (2002)

Author:
New Play:

Venue:
Location:
Staging:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Tim Firth
Yes

Stephen Joseph Theatre
The Round
Round

25 April 2002
30 April 2002
18 May 2002
Director:
Design:
Lighting:
Alan Ayckbourn
Michael Holt
Kath Geraghty
Stage Manager:
Deputy Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:

Character
Daniel
Adam
Esther
Lol
Bridget
Inga
Colette Croft
Andy Hall
Emily Thurlby

Actor
Daniel Casey
Daniel Crowder
Christine Moore
John Branwell
Amanda Abbington
Helen Ryan

Why is this play significant?

The final - as of writing - world premiere at the Stephen Joseph Theatre by the popular and award-winning writer Tim Firth.* It marked the final time Alan Ayckbourn would direct a production by a writer other than himself and it would transfer with most of the original company to Hampstead Theatre in 2003.

* There's an argument that Tim's later play Absolutely Frank was a world premiere, but it's slightly debatable as it was a full-length expansion of an existing one act work which had previously debuted at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round as A Man of Letters.

Notes

○ The Safari Party marked the final time Alan Ayckbourn would direct a play by an author other than himself at the Stephen Joseph Theatre. Since 2002, he has only directed the world premieres and revivals of his own plays at the venue.
○ The Safari Party was revived the following year for the opening of the renovated Hampstead Theatre. Although Alan Ayckbourn directed it and it featured the same company, it was not considered a transfer or a Stephen Joseph Theatre production.
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.