Taking Steps: A Farce

by Alan Ayckbourn

A hard-drinking tycoon, Roland, contemplates purchasing an old Victorian house, once a brothel. His solicitor and the builder, the seller, arrive to finalize the transaction. Also present are his wife, a frustrated dancer, her brother, and later, her brother's fiancee, who's unsure about running away. Over a chaotic night and morning, with constant movement between rooms, these characters, each grappling with personal issues, attempt to resolve their problems. The first act's conclusion finds the solicitor in bed with Roland's wife, mistaking her for a ghost, and the fiancee accidentally trapped in the attic cupboard by the distraught tycoon, who's taken refuge in the spare bed. This all unfolds in a highly innovative and original setting, where all rooms, passages, and stairs are on a single level.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Humor

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 18, 1981

About the author

Sir Alan Ayckbourn is a popular and prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their first performance. More than 40 have subsequently been produced in the West End, at the Royal National Theatre or by the Royal Shakespeare Company since his first hit Relatively Speaking opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1967. Major successes include Absurd Person Singular (1975), The Norman Conquests trilogy (1973), Bedroom Farce (1975), Just Between Ourselves (1976), A Chorus of Disapproval (1984), Woman in Mind (1985), A Small Family Business (1987), Man Of The Moment (1988), House & Garden (1999) and Private Fears in Public Places (2004). His plays have won numerous awards, including seven London Evening Standard Awards. They have been translated into over 35 languages and are performed on stage and television throughout the world. Ten of his plays have been staged on Broadway, attracting two Tony nominations, and one Tony award.

Reviews

[Colten Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

😂😂😂

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm doing this play right now. It's way fun.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An awesome idea for a farce. However, like most farces, reading it just doesn't do it justice. I need to see it staged before I can really pass judgment.