The Complete Plays: 1976 Overview (The Library Theatre)
This page contains details about the final year at the Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, in 1976. It does not include details about the plays at its second home, Theatre in the Round at Westwood. For details about individual plays, click on the play titles below.All information on this page has been researched and compiled by Simon Murgatroyd M.A. from programmes, brochures and newspaper articles.
Summer 1976
All plays were performed in-the-round in the Concert Room at Scarborough Library.* The season ran from 14 June to 11 September 1976. At which point, the company moved to its second home, Theatre in the Round at Westwood (later retitled the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round in 1978) for the 1976 autumn / winter season.* Alan Ayckbourn's Just Between Ourselves was performed in a thrust / three-sided configuration have already been directed this way for the 1975 / 1976 winter season. The Adventures of Dirty Dick was a touring production around Scarborough. The plays were performed in rep, generally with a change of programme on Thursdays.
Advertised Programme
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ Comic Pictures
○ All The Best People
○ Comic Pictures
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Comic Pictures
○ Mother Country
○ Comic Pictures
○ Mother Country
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ Comic Pictures
○ All The Best People
○ Comic Pictures
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Comic Pictures
○ Mother Country
○ Comic Pictures
○ Mother Country
○ Just Between Ourselves
14 - 16 Jun
17 - 23 Jun
24 - 30 Jun
1 - 7 Jul
8 - 14 Jul
15 - 17 Jul
21 - 24 Jul
26 - 28 Jul
29 Jul - 4 Aug
5 - 11 Aug
12 - 18 Aug
19 - 21 Aug
25 - 28 Aug
30 Aug - 1 Sep
2 Sep - 8 Sep
9 - 11 Sep
17 - 23 Jun
24 - 30 Jun
1 - 7 Jul
8 - 14 Jul
15 - 17 Jul
21 - 24 Jul
26 - 28 Jul
29 Jul - 4 Aug
5 - 11 Aug
12 - 18 Aug
19 - 21 Aug
25 - 28 Aug
30 Aug - 1 Sep
2 Sep - 8 Sep
9 - 11 Sep
Actual Programme
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ Comic Pictures
○ All The Best People
○ Comic Pictures
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ Comic Pictures
○ Mother Country
○ Comic Pictures
○ Mother Country
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ All The Best People
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ Comic Pictures
○ All The Best People
○ Comic Pictures
○ Just Between Ourselves
○ Comic Pictures
○ Mother Country
○ Comic Pictures
○ Mother Country
○ Just Between Ourselves
14 - 16 Jun
17 - 23 Jun
24 - 30 Jun
1 - 7 Jul
8 - 14 Jul
15 - 17 Jul
21 - 24 Jul
26 - 28 Jul
29 Jul - 4 Aug
5 - 14 Aug
16 - 21 Aug
25 - 28 Aug
30 Aug - 1 Sep
2 Sep - 8 Sep
9 - 11 Sep
17 - 23 Jun
24 - 30 Jun
1 - 7 Jul
8 - 14 Jul
15 - 17 Jul
21 - 24 Jul
26 - 28 Jul
29 Jul - 4 Aug
5 - 14 Aug
16 - 21 Aug
25 - 28 Aug
30 Aug - 1 Sep
2 Sep - 8 Sep
9 - 11 Sep
In addition to the advertised summer schedule, a Saturday morning children's show was arranged, The Mystery of the Lost City by Janet Dale. The play premiered on 31 July 1976 and ran for six Saturdays.
A touring production called The Adventures of Dirty Dick was also produced by the company performing on various dates between 20 July - 19 August, but which was not performed in Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre.
A touring production called The Adventures of Dirty Dick was also produced by the company performing on various dates between 20 July - 19 August, but which was not performed in Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre.
Creatives
Alan Ayckbourn (Artistic Director / Writer)Bob Eaton (Director)
Janet Dale (Writer)
Stephen Lowe (Writer)
Stephen Mallatratt (Writer)
Helga Wood (Design)
Peter Clough (Music)
Edna Davis (Choreography)
Actors
Diane BullElspeth Charlton
Bob Eaton
Malcolm Hebden
Robin Herford
Christopher Godwin
Robin Herford
Stephen Mallatratt
Alison Skilbeck
Heather Stoney
Elaine Strickland
Other Staff
Ken Boden (General Manager)Tony Banfield (Publicity)
Stephen Wood (Publicity)
David Millard (Company Manager)
Richard Roscoe (Stage Manager)
Peter Chadwick (Deputy Stage Manager)
Christopher Gray (ASM)
Nigel LeVaillant (ASM)
Stephen Lowe (ASM)
Wendy Murray (ASM)
Trevor John-Smith (Technician)
Margaret Boden (Box Office)
Bea Matthews (Box Office)
Lynn Halliday (Box Office)
Beryl Johnson (Secretary)
Veronica Pemberton-Billing (Catering Manager)
1976 Production Notes
○ Strictly speaking, the world premiere of Just Between Ourselves falls into 1976 as it premiered from 28 - 31 January 1976, but it is considered part of the 1975 / 1976 winter season.
○ All The Best People was advertised as being in repertory until 18 August 1976. However, the final nine performances of the production were replaced by six performances of Alan Ayckbourn's Just Between Ourselves and three performances of Stephen Lowe's Comic Pictures due to the demand for tickets for these plays - and presumably a lack of demand to see All The Best People.
○ All The Best People marked the debut of Robin Herford with the company who would later go on to become Associate Director and, subsequently, Artistic Director whilst Alan Ayckbourn was on sabbatical at the National Theatre from 1986 to 1988.
○ Just Between Ourselves had premiered in January 1976 in the library's Large Lecture Room, which had necessitated it being produced three-sided. When he came to revive the play during the summer season - which took place in the Concert Room - Alan Ayckbourn decided to keep it in the thrust configuration for ease and to accommodate the existing set.
○ The Mystery of The Lost City was the first part of a six-part serial for children performed on Saturday mornings during the 1976 summer season at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre. No programme is held in archive for this production, so all details are drawn from the 1976 Library Theatre summer brochure and press cuttings relating to the play.
○The Adventures Of Dirty Dick was a revue produced by Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre written to visit village greens and lawns in the Scarborough area; it was never performed at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre No programme is held in archive for this play and all details are drawn from related press cuttings from the period and material held in private archive.
○ Mother Country was the final new play to be produced at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough. Between Stephen Joseph opening the venue in 1955 and the company leaving the venue in September 1976, the company produced 159 plays of which 77 were new commissions.
○ Just Between Ourselves was the final play to be performed at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre when it closed on 11 September 1976, prior to the company moving to its new home to Theatre in the Round at Westwood.
○ The company was asked to take part in the Richard III festival organised for Scarborough in the summer of 1976 - the King having had an association with the town. Alan Ayckbourn commissioned the actress and writer Janet Dale to write a play based on the life of Richard III for the summer of 1976 to tie in with the festival which would be performed at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre. For reasons unknown, the play was cancelled and never written.
○ All The Best People was advertised as being in repertory until 18 August 1976. However, the final nine performances of the production were replaced by six performances of Alan Ayckbourn's Just Between Ourselves and three performances of Stephen Lowe's Comic Pictures due to the demand for tickets for these plays - and presumably a lack of demand to see All The Best People.
○ All The Best People marked the debut of Robin Herford with the company who would later go on to become Associate Director and, subsequently, Artistic Director whilst Alan Ayckbourn was on sabbatical at the National Theatre from 1986 to 1988.
○ Just Between Ourselves had premiered in January 1976 in the library's Large Lecture Room, which had necessitated it being produced three-sided. When he came to revive the play during the summer season - which took place in the Concert Room - Alan Ayckbourn decided to keep it in the thrust configuration for ease and to accommodate the existing set.
○ The Mystery of The Lost City was the first part of a six-part serial for children performed on Saturday mornings during the 1976 summer season at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre. No programme is held in archive for this production, so all details are drawn from the 1976 Library Theatre summer brochure and press cuttings relating to the play.
○The Adventures Of Dirty Dick was a revue produced by Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre written to visit village greens and lawns in the Scarborough area; it was never performed at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre No programme is held in archive for this play and all details are drawn from related press cuttings from the period and material held in private archive.
○ Mother Country was the final new play to be produced at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough. Between Stephen Joseph opening the venue in 1955 and the company leaving the venue in September 1976, the company produced 159 plays of which 77 were new commissions.
○ Just Between Ourselves was the final play to be performed at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre when it closed on 11 September 1976, prior to the company moving to its new home to Theatre in the Round at Westwood.
○ The company was asked to take part in the Richard III festival organised for Scarborough in the summer of 1976 - the King having had an association with the town. Alan Ayckbourn commissioned the actress and writer Janet Dale to write a play based on the life of Richard III for the summer of 1976 to tie in with the festival which would be performed at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre. For reasons unknown, the play was cancelled and never written.
All information for this page has been researched and compiled by Simon Murgatroyd and should not be reproduced without permission. Any approved reproduction of information from this page should always credit 'A Round Town (www.theatre-in-the-round.co.uk).