Books by Alan Ayckbourn

Book SynopsisA hilarious satire of television and a touching romantic comedy, it begins in a television studio where a hospital soap opera is being taped. One actor starts speaking gibberish; he is an actoid a robot and his programming is off kilter. Adam, the young nephew of the producer and an aspiring writer who worships the director (once a great movie director and now a broken down has been), is on the set. Adam starts chatting with Jacie Tripplethree, the actoid (serial number JC333) playing the nurse and finds, to his surprise, that not only can she carry on a conversation but, due to what she calls a fault in her programming, she has a creative imagination. Adam wants to build a new television series around her but the studio will not hear of it. He also finds he is falling in love with the charming robot! Will Adam get the green light on his series? Will love prevail? Jacie is one of Ayckbourn''s greatest characters; her portrayer won all of London''s major acting awards.

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Book SynopsisThere are three couples in this play, the men all working for the same firm. One of the younger men is having an affair with the wife of the oldest, and when each returns home suspiciously late one night or early one morning they invent a story about having to spend some time smoothing domestic matters in the home of the third couple. Both living rooms are shown in the single set, and both share a common dining room which takes on a character of its own as it serves two dinners simultaneously on two different nights. Of course, the third couple have to show up to put the fat in the fire, but that complication only adds to the fun of this famous farce.

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Book SynopsisThe Rodales seem like an ordinary family, but beneath the surface things are beginning to crack. Jill and Mal have lost the spark in their marriage, their son Sam resents his father and their daughter Chrissie has recently become a mum and is dealing with marriage issues of her own. And while they all share advice on how others should live their lives, nobody is really taking it on board -- until Mal and Jill see things from a dramatically different perspective, that is.2 women, 3 men

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Book SynopsisAnother marvelous portrait of middle class, middle aged life by this skillful portrayer of manners and morals. Charming, naturally successful in everything, Anthea and Richard almost unconsciously but ruthlessly dominate the lives of those with whom they are associated in business or as neighbors. Over twelve years Sven, Richard''s partner, is virtually nudged out of the firm Brian tries, ineffectually, through a series of girl friends to replace his love, Anthea Hugh, a local vicar, falls hopelessly for Anthea Hugh''s wife is driven to drugs by Anthea and Richard''s kindness. The play ends with Anthea''s daughter, Debbie, awaiting the guests for her eighteenth birthday party with Brian making one last attempt for an Anthea substitute.

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Book SynopsisDennis spends his spare time messing about in his untidy garage, indifferent to the fact that his wife is being driven to distraction and beyond by his possessive mother. The hidden tension and antagonisms under an apparently normal surface build up to a climax of bizarre violence and madness.3 women, 2 men

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Book SynopsisThough he''s lauded in the media as a military hero, Murray is remembered less fondly by many in his old village. He left amidst rumours of arson, unplanned pregnancy and stealing his best friend''s girlfriend. So when he returns, seventeen years later, with a new wife in tow, he creates trouble from the beginning - not least with his ex-fiancee. As more secrets emerge and old scores are settled, the village is drawn into the crossfire.

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Book SynopsisIt''s Christmas, and Beth Timms is mourning the recent death of her health and safety officer husband, Gordon. Beth''s sister-in- law Connie and son Martin have come to stay, determined to ensure that she should have a stress-free Christmas, but between Connie''s drinking problem and Martin''s unspeaking and emotionally volatile girlfriend Ella, their intentions prove to be short-lived. Only David, the local vicar, provides Beth with any comfort, but when he says a prayer for her bereavement he unwittingly summons Gordon''s ghost to return to the family home. Gordon has been busy implementing health and safety measures in the afterlife and is now determined to stick around to help Beth manage her affairs. It soon becomes apparent, however, that his return is not altogether welcome. ... comic and touching ... - Michael Billington, GuardianTrade Review"... comic and touching ..." - Michael Billington, Guardian

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Book SynopsisCharlie Conrad is a celebrity. His talent? He hasn't got one; the nation took him to their hearts for very publicly being unable to do anything competently. On a fateful day Charlie has an encounter with Marsha, a children's entertainer otherwise known as Mr Chortles, and his marriage and his career go into freefall...Trade Review"A coruscatingly acid and funny play." The Times"

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Book SynopsisMr Whatnot is Mint, a piano tuner, summoned to the stately home of Lord and Lady Slingsby-Craddock. Once there he falls in love with their daughter, Amanda, elopes with her, fails to save her from marriage to Cecil but wins through in the end. With plenty of mime and sound effects Mr Whatnot offers great opportunities to an imaginative director for a highly entertaining and unusual production.4 women, 7 men

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Book SynopsisWinnie is nearly nine. Her mum, Laverne, is second-generation Afro-Caribbean and heavily pregnant but continues with her cleaning job since her husband left while she dreams of moving the family back to Martinique. Tuesdays are special: Laverne insists that Winnie speaks only French (in preparation for Martinique) and today is Tuesday - not her usual day to clean at the north London house of Kevin Tate, an affluent, bad-tempered, philandering, minor television personality. Not well enough to go to school, Winnie accompanies her mum and settles down to her homework: an essay entitled My Wonderful Day.4 women, 2 men

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Book SynopsisSix aspiring authors meet on a winter''s evening to discuss their work. Among them are writers of historical romances and children''s literature who are finding it difficult to start writing, and a crime writer who can''t stop. A creator of extremely complicated science fiction, a librettist without a musical partner and the Writer''s Circle chairman, who produces instruction booklets, make up the rest of the team. The chairman, Arnold, attempts to get the rest of the group out of a rut by suggesting that they collaborate on a piece of writing, an idea that is received without enthusiasm. However, as Arnold is clearing up after the meeting there is a clap of thunder, a black-out - and then the story that would have resulted from the collaboration takes place before his very eyes. Sharp comedy and affectionate satire characterize this zany, imaginative play.

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Book SynopsisThe year is 1996. Trevor and Linda have been struggling for a while to deal with the behaviour of their rebellious teenage son Jason. In a moment of madness, they hatch a plan to create his own funeral in their living room.

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Book SynopsisA terrorist code-named Cerastes is on the loose, and an undercover anti-terrorist squad have planned a sting to capture him as he steps off a train at a London station.The operation, led by the buffoonish Acting Major Quentin Sexton, has drawn in two outsiders - Ez and Barry. Perfect strangers as the play begins, their time waiting for the trap to be sprung gives them the chance to get to know each other, and try to make sense of the chaos unfolding around them.

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Book SynopsisChlo? With Love - Teddy''s marriage to Lottie is going through a difficult period. Does he still love Lottie? Does Lottie still love him? Cue next door neighbours Penny and Reggie to the rescue. Penny weighing in to help Lottie and Reggie resolving to help his best friend to resist temptation. But with the arrival of the voluptuous Chlo? all their best laid schemes are put to the test.The Kidderminster Affair - Sexual intrigue at Teddy''s garden barbecue. Is his secret liaison with his neighbour, Penny, about to leak out? Will his wife Lottie discover the awful truth about Kidderminster? Will Penny''s husband and best friend Reggie ever get hold of the right end of the stick? Will he burn the barbecue? Or indeed resolve the mystery of the slow puncture?

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Book SynopsisFive interrelated one-act plays, written to be performed in any order determined randomly prior to performance, looking at the lives of a judge, agent, politician, budding star and novelist.

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Book SynopsisThis ingenious comedy is about two sisters and the choices they make (or have made for them) over a few months. There are four versions that can be done on different evenings, each stemming from one random and one deliberate choice. The story starts with a funeral at which Dorcas, Abigail and Simon solve a dilemma by tossing a coin: either Dorcas or Abigail wins the toss and goes with Simon. Later, at a picnic, Dorcas opts for either a camping adventure for Abigail or a day of sports for herself. The inevitable end of either choice is a wedding.4 women, 8 men

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Book SynopsisRoland, a hard drinking tycoon, is considering buying an old Victorian house, once a brothel. His solicitor and the vendor, a builder, arrive to complete the deal. Also in the house are his wife, a frustrated dancer who is always considering leaving him, her brother and later the brother''s fianc?, who is uncertain whether or not to run away. In the course of one hectic night and morning, with continual running up and downstairs and in and out of rooms, these characters, each immersed in a personal problem, try to sort themselves out.-2 women, 4 men

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Book SynopsisThe trilogy comprises FlatSpin, GamePlan and RolePlay and was first seen at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough and later at the Duchess Theatre, London. Each is self contained, the common theme linking them is that the setting is the same London Docklands apartment and all three concern young women in various states of distress. A night of romance in her luxurious riverside apartment with the good-looking stranger from next door. How can Joanna possibly go wrong? Except the flat isn't hers, her name isn't Joanna and heaven knows what the good-looking stranger is really after. Instead of romance comes considerable danger...

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Book SynopsisThe trilogy comprises FlatSpin, GamePlan and RolePlay and was first seen at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough and later at the Duchess Theatre, London. Each is self contained, the common theme linking them is that the setting is the same London Docklands apartment and all three concern young women in various states of distress. Teenage Sorrel fights to keep herself and her abandoned mother, once a dot.com bUsinesswoman, financially afloat by setting up as a part-time hooker, advertising for clients on the Internet and persuading her tearful school chum to act as her maid. Just when you wonder what will happen in this terrible situation the play becomes a farce about body disposal, police questioning and media intrusion.

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Book SynopsisJulia Lukin, a musical prodigy, committed suicide twelve years ago and now memories of her haunt the three men closest to her. Her father, Joe, has never come to terms with her death, and in the Julia Lukin Music Centre, he meets with a psychic, Ken, and Julia''s boyfriend, Andy - the last person to see her alive, in hope of finding some answers. The men meet in Julia''s old bedroom and Joe reveals that he believes Julia is trying to contact him in order to explain what happened. Between the three men, the story of Julia''s life and death is gradually revealed - often at odds with what each man believes he knew.

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Book SynopsisSix people with six very separate lives are strangely linked by circumstance. Does Nicola still love Dan? Can Stewart be on the verge of an office romance? Will Imogen ever find true love? Does Ambrose have a secret life? And what on earth is Charlotte up to?

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Book SynopsisElspeth and Arthur are celebrating forty years of quiet, safe, unspectacular, ordinary marriage. Or so most of the guests attending their anniversary party are led to believe. But knowing her and knowing him as they do, their son and daughter know differently.

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Book SynopsisMelanie believes she has foreseen the future. But has she really? Or is it all in her mind?True or false, she has seen events which threaten the life of one she secretly loves, and she feels they are in terrible danger.What can she possibly do or say to prevent things happening, and who will even believe her?

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Book SynopsisIrascible author Algy Waterbridge is hard at work on his thirty-third crime novel. While Algy''s wife is getting more forgetful, and his PA frequently oversteps the mark, the constant interruptions come to a head with an unfortunate newspaper interview. As Algy''s fictional characters take over, the lines between fiction and reality become blurred.A comedy of confusion about a grumpy old man who might not be so grumpy after all.

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Book SynopsisAs perceptive as ever ... Ayckbourn has once again achieved a satisfyingly rich, tragi-comic complexity Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisAdrian is about to introduce his fianc?e Grace to his parents at a birthday party, but they are worried that Grace doesn''t know about Adrian''s alleged reputation. As more birthdays unfold, the truth about the suburban closet Lothario is revealed...

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Book SynopsisCaroline marries an unemployed actor, Kevin, whom she supports while he flirts with women and spoils her flat with his oafish behaviour. Eventually he seduces one of her pupils and Caroline throws him out. Miserably isolated, she goes to dinner with Jilly and Ivor and meets Matthew who appears eminently suitable. But their ensuing affair is doomed by Matthew''s persistent, precision fault-finding and Caroline realizes she can cope better with the slovenly, but kind-hearted, Kevin sprawling on her sofa. The plot is evolved in clever time-splitting sequences between the present and three years past.3 women, 4 men, 8 women or men

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Book SynopsisMusicalCharacters: 1 male, 3 female Interior Set Book and Lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn. Music by Paul Todd. Mrs. Mary Yately is no run of the mill housewife-- she has been chosen by the Evening Echo as Mum of the Year. And, Mrs. Yately is no ordinary character in this brilliantly inventive new musical by Britain''s comic master-- she is three separate personalities, played by three actresses. One actor plays all the men in Mary''s life, all of whom are, shall we say, not on this world to make her life easier. We know that Alan Ayckbourn writes more ingenious comedies than anyone else. Now, he is starting to write more ingenious musicals as well. Me, Myself and I offers more civilized pleasure than any other British musical I''ve seen this year.-- London Guardian. Splendid, galloping music and rapid fire lyrics.-- London Standard.

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