Alan Ayckbourn
Welcome to the Family review – Alan Ayckbourn’s ingenious 88th play promises more than it delivers
The playwright’s latest comedy boasts some fine acting, and touches on big themes, but fails to engage emotionally
Clare Brennan
21, May, 2023 @10:30 AM
The best theatre to stream this month: The Book of Dust, Four Quartets and the start of panto season
Our roundup of drama to watch at home includes Alan Ayckbourn’s 87th play, live performance from Ukraine and a concert of lost showtunes
Chris Wiegand
01, Nov, 2022 @8:00 AM
Woman in Mind review – when the vicar’s wife’s worst nightmare is her own life
Jenna Russell stars in Alan Ayckbourn’s exploration of mental illness with an accomplished cast of supporting characters ably adding to the anguish
David Jays
30, Sep, 2022 @10:14 AM
Family Album review – Alan Ayckbourn’s funny, moving new play about the lives of women
Directing a masterly production, the playwright follows three generations of women in one home, from 1952 to 2022
Clare Brennan
18, Sep, 2022 @10:30 AM
Noises Off: the farce masterclass that is truly revealing
Michael Frayn’s comedy is not just extremely funny but also acknowledges the fragile artifice of order – in theatre and the world beyond
Michael Billington
08, Sep, 2022 @5:00 AM
Family Album review – Alan Ayckbourn’s playful snapshot of social flux
Skipping between three generations from the 50s to the present, this occasionally poignant play pulls back from the emotional force of its concept
Mark Fisher
07, Sep, 2022 @10:49 AM
The Guardian view on Alan Ayckbourn: a tonic for sick times | Editorial
Editorial: Don’t assume that the arts are just about entertainment – they have a crucial part to play in the mental health of the nation
Editorial
26, Aug, 2022 @5:25 PM
Post your questions for Tom Courtenay
Ahead of the release of The Railway Children Return, here’s your chance to ask the legendary actor about his extraordinary career. Leave your questions in the comments – all aboard!
Rich Pelley
30, Jun, 2022 @11:19 AM
Jennifer Piercey obituary
Other lives: Actor who worked with Alan Ayckbourn and appeared on TV in The Two of Us
Alan Strachan
01, May, 2022 @4:22 PM
‘You immediately tell your friends to cancel their tickets’ – what’s it like to star in a flop?
How does it feel to go back on stage night after night in a play that’s been mauled by critics and deserted by audiences? Richard Eyre and other directors and actors relive their trauma
Mark Lawson
16, Dec, 2021 @6:00 AM
The Girl Next Door review – Ayckbourn’s inventive time-bending comedy
Two sets of neighbours from 2020 and 1942 interact in an entertaining tale of love and endurance
Clare Brennan
12, Jun, 2021 @12:00 PM
The Girl Next Door review – Ayckbourn casts history’s lens on lockdown Britain
The prolific playwright is on fine form with an uncanny story that smartly contrasts national crises past and present
Mark Fisher
11, Jun, 2021 @9:40 AM
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