The Complete Plays: The Square Cat (1959)
Production Details
Title:
Author:
New Play:
Venue:
Location:
Staging:
Author:
New Play:
Venue:
Location:
Staging:
The Square Cat
Roland Allen (Alan Ayckbourn)
Yes
The Library Theatre, Scarborough
Concert Room
Round
Roland Allen (Alan Ayckbourn)
Yes
The Library Theatre, Scarborough
Concert Room
Round
First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
30 July 1959
30 July 1959
2 September 1959
30 July 1959
2 September 1959
Company Details
Director:
Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage Manager:
Stephen Joseph
Ann Hughesdon
Rosemary Green
Don Brown
Ann Hughesdon
Rosemary Green
Don Brown
Character
Sidney Glover
Alice Glover, his wife
Steve Glover, his son
Susan Glover, his daughter
Jerry Wattis / Arthur Brummage
Sidney Glover
Alice Glover, his wife
Steve Glover, his son
Susan Glover, his daughter
Jerry Wattis / Arthur Brummage
Actor
David Campton
Dona Martyn
William Elmhirst
Faynia Jeffery
Alan Ayckbourn
David Campton
Dona Martyn
William Elmhirst
Faynia Jeffery
Alan Ayckbourn
Why is this play significant?
It's Alan Ayckbourn's first professionally produced play. I think that about covers that! In-depth coverage of the play can be found in The Square Cat section of Alan Ayckbourn's official website.Notes
○ The Square Cat was Alan Ayckbourn's first full-length, commissioned play. Alan Ayckbourn joined the Studio Theatre Ltd company in 1957 as a stage manager, progressing to actor, later playwright, then director and eventually Artistic Director of the company in 1972.
○ The Square Cat was commissioned by Stephen Joseph after Alan Ayckbourn complained about the quality of his roles in the company, most notably following David Campton's Ring Of Roses (for many years, Alan said the singular role was Bell, Book & Candle so as not to offend his friend, Campton). Stephen threw down the gauntlet that Alan write his own play if he thought he could do better - with the proviso Alan take the lead role.
○ The success of The Square Cat - the second most popular play of the season - led it to being run for an extra week at the end of the season in place of David Campton's Frankenstein, which had not attracted strong audiences.
○ The programme for The Square Cat credits the play to Roland Allan, a mis-spelling of the pseudonym Roland Allen used by Alan Ayckbourn during the writing of his first four plays.
○ Roland Allen was actually an amalgamation of the name of both Alan Ayckbourn and his first wife, Christine Roland. This reflected the fact that The Square Cat was a collaboration between Alan and Christine.
○ The Square Cat was presented without an interval.
○ The Square Cat was commissioned by Stephen Joseph after Alan Ayckbourn complained about the quality of his roles in the company, most notably following David Campton's Ring Of Roses (for many years, Alan said the singular role was Bell, Book & Candle so as not to offend his friend, Campton). Stephen threw down the gauntlet that Alan write his own play if he thought he could do better - with the proviso Alan take the lead role.
○ The success of The Square Cat - the second most popular play of the season - led it to being run for an extra week at the end of the season in place of David Campton's Frankenstein, which had not attracted strong audiences.
○ The programme for The Square Cat credits the play to Roland Allan, a mis-spelling of the pseudonym Roland Allen used by Alan Ayckbourn during the writing of his first four plays.
○ Roland Allen was actually an amalgamation of the name of both Alan Ayckbourn and his first wife, Christine Roland. This reflected the fact that The Square Cat was a collaboration between Alan and Christine.
○ The Square Cat was presented without an interval.
Links
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd. Image copyright: Scarborough Theatre Trust