Tag: Alan Ayckbourn

The Forest by Alexander Ostrovsky, Lyttelton Theatre, 30 January 1999

Oh dear! I wrote the following in my log:

It was so bad we walked out at half time.

In those days, that meant REALLY bad.

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

Nicholas de Jongh liked it:

Forest de Jongh StandardForest de Jongh Standard 29 Jan 1999, Fri Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Our friend, Michael Billington in The Guardian, also liked it:

Forest Billington GuardianForest Billington Guardian 30 Jan 1999, Sat The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Susannah Clapp in the Observer was a little more equivocal:

Forest Clapp ObserverForest Clapp Observer 31 Jan 1999, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

While Robert Butler in The Sunday Indy didn’t really like it, finding it TV cosy in the way that probably put us right off:

Forest Butler IndependentForest Butler Independent 31 Jan 1999, Sun The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Family Circles by Alan Ayckbourn, Orange Tree Theatre, 30 November 1996

Blooming heck – Janie and I took Pauline with us on this occasion, to see an Ayckbourn play about a family with three daughters…

…and yet our logged verdict on the event was:

Very good.

It must REALLY have been very good.

The play was subtitled “The Story So Far aka Me Times Me Times Me” and is one of those lesser-known Ayckbourn plays. Possibly it is lesser-known precisely because it is less predictable, glib, farce-oriented comedy than many of his works.

My friend, Michael Billington, clearly liked the play and this production:

Family Circles BillingtonFamily Circles Billington 10 Dec 1996, Tue The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

After reading that Billington review, I am for some reason (“Dance Of Death played for laughs”, perhaps, or “three sisters in comparison with whom Lear’s daughters look like balanced and beneficent progeny” reminded of one of my favourite Peter Cook quotes:

I go to the theatre to be entertained. I don’t want to see plays about rape, sodomy and drug addiction – I can get all that at home.

Nick Curtis in the evening Standard was less sure about the piece:

Family Circles Nick Curtis StandardFamily Circles Nick Curtis Standard 12 Dec 1996, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

We would no doubt have dined at Don Fernando’s after the show. Families, eh?

Wildest Dreams by Alan Ayckbourn, The Pit, 26 February 1994

My log reads,

Don’t remember this one too well, which says something.

I have managed to find a synopsis, click here, but it doesn’t really help me much.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this play/production. Still only a vague memory.

I don’t think we liked it.

I don’t think we walked out at half time. I suspect the performances from that top notch cast kept us going. But I don’t think we liked the play.

I’ve managed to find an on-line review for this one, in the Variety archive – click here.

Here is the Michael Billington clipping:

Billington On Wildest DreamsBillington On Wildest Dreams Thu, Dec 16, 1993 – 34 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Here’s Michael Coveney’s clipping:

Coveney On Wildest DreamsCoveney On Wildest Dreams Sun, Dec 19, 1993 – 58 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Invisible Friends by Alan Ayckbourn, Cottesloe Theatre, 4 May 1991

I think I’d grown out of Alan Ayckbourn by the time I saw this one. Or perhaps I just had grown out of Ayckbourn that was aimed at a young audience.

Not really my sort of thing

…I said.

Another Saturday evening at the Cottesloe with Bobbie.

The Theatricalia entry for this one can be found here.

Michael Billington explains what the play and production was about, recommending that adults should only attend if accompanied by children!

Billington on Invisible FriendsBillington on Invisible Friends Fri, Mar 15, 1991 – 37 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Coveney in The Observer makes no excuses for the play/production, simply suggesting that invisible was risible.

Coveney on InvisibleCoveney on Invisible Sun, Mar 17, 1991 – 56 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

I do recall Bobbie telling me about her imaginary friend, some time before this production. But as far as I know that didn’t all go horribly wrong for her. I certainly don’t remember this production generating additional revelations from Bobbie.

Tis Pity She’s A Whore by John Ford, Olivier Theatre, 16 April 1988

A superb run of seeing amazing productions started to break down just a little with this one.

Again a Saturday evening, again with Bobbie. My log says the production was good. It also says:

Suzan Sylvester was indisposed that day, so we saw Michelle Evans understudy the lead

Tis pity that, as I think Suzan Sylvester must have been a very good Annabella opposite Rupert Graves as Giovanni. I do remember Bobbie and I feeling that the understudy did well, though.

My friend Michael Simkins was also in it, as Soranzo. Coincidental at the time of writing, in early 2019, as we saw Michael at the Hampstead Downstairs just a couple of weeks ago:

Eden by Hannah Patterson, Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, 16 February 2019

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Alan Ayckbourn directed the production – there is some additional information about it on his site – click here.

It’s not a happy story and matters unsurprisingly…spoiler alert…do not end well for the protagonists. The Wikipedia entry gives a good synopsis.

In those days I think we were quite partial to some Jacobean blood and gore. It’s only latterly that I’ve gone all snowflake.

Below is Michael Radcliffe’s review from The Observer:

Tis Pity RadcliffeTis Pity Radcliffe Sun, Mar 6, 1988 – 40 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Billington in The Guardian found this production “too tasteful”:

Tis Pity BillimgtonTis Pity Billimgton Sat, Mar 5, 1988 – 16 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com