The Complete Plays: Meet My Father (1965)

Production Details
Title:
Author:
New Play:

Venue:
Location:
Staging:
Meet My Father
Alan Ayckbourn
Yes

The Library Theatre, Scarborough
Concert Room
Round
First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
8 July 1965
8 July 1965
11 August 1965
Note: Meet My Father was the original title of Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking. The title was changed for the West End premiere of the play in March 1967.
Company Details
Director:
Lighting:

Stage Manager:
Stephen Joseph
Clive Goodhead

Valerie Fletcher
Character
Greg
Gina
Philip
Sheila
Actor
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 was in the 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 as Artistic Director of the company in 1972. It was also the final play to be directed by Stephen Joseph before his death in 1967.
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 unassisted by Stephen Joseph before his death in October 1967 (he did also direct Cock & Bull Story in 1965 but with the help of an assistant director, George Taylor). Stephen lived long enough to see his protégé 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.
Links
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd. Image copyright: Scarborough Theatre Trust