Alan Ayckbourn: Play Facts

This page contains a brief introduction to Alan Ayckbourn's plays. Click on Play Index or a play title below for in-depth details.

○ Between 1959 and 2026, Alan Ayckbourn has written:
  • 92 full length plays
  • 10 revues / musical entertainments
  • 7 one act / short plays
  • 2 plays for performance by young people
  • 4 plays for pre-school children
  • 5 adaptations of existing plays
  • 1 novel
  • 1 screenplay
  • 1 book
○ The 92 full length plays include:
  • 11 family plays
  • 8 musicals
  • 1 farce
  • 4 plays incorporating elements of chance
  • 2 trilogies

Play Facts

○ First Professional Play: The Square Cat (premiered on 39 July 1959)
○ Largest work: Intimate Exchanges with 16 hours of dialogue, 31 scenes, 16 permutations & 10 characters played by 2 actors.
○ Only Farce: Alan Ayckbourn considers he has written just one true farce, Taking Steps.
○ Trilogies: The Norman Conquests and the Damsels In Distress.
○ Duologies: House & Garden, The Revengers' Comedies & Consuming Passions.
○ 'Chance' Plays: Sisterly Feelings, It Could Be Any One Of Us, Mr A's Amazing Maze Plays & Roundelay.
○ Audience Interactive Plays: Mr A's Amazing Maze Plays, The Musical Jigsaw Play & The Karaoke Theatre Company.
○ Screenplays: Service Not Included for BBC television.
○ End-stage specific plays: Bedroom Farce, A Small Family Business, Haunting Julia, Things We Do For Love & Virtual Reality.
○ Plays Not Premiered in Scarborough: Christmas V Mastermind, Mr Whatnot, Jeeves, A Small Family Business, All Lies & Welcome to the Family.
○ Shortest full-length Play: Consuming Passions (1 hour and 20 minutes without interval).
○ Longest full-length Play: The Revengers' Comedies (4 hours and 15 minutes without interval).
○ Only novel: The Divide
○ First Streaming Premiere: Anno Domino (premiered on Stephen Joseph Theatre website on 25 May 2020)
All research in this section is by Simon Murgatroyd and should be credited if reproduced.