Conversations With Ayckbourn

by Ian Watson

Watson, Ian

Genres: Theatre

219 pages, Paperback

First published June 18, 1981

About the author

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Reviews

[Bookthesp1]

This might need to be read in combination with a biography of Ayckbourn such as Grinning at the edge by Paul Allen. It consists of a detailed series of interviews with Ayckbourn which cover his career up to his foray into working for the NT running a National Theatre company and just beyond. It's a useful document that looks at Ayckbourn's career from early days as an ASM and his long association with the Theatre in the round at the Steven Joseph theatre in Scarborough. His inspiration for writing and each of his plays are dealt with (though not all to date) and he discusses the journey he has taken to becoming a major playwright and the themes he constantly comes back you. A little dry ay times (he isn't terribly gossipy) but useful in seeing both the building blocks in his career as well as the problems running a company outside London. There is little on his personal life but plenty for anyone wishing to delve into his dramatic methodology or particular plays though sometimes he ends up saying very little (for example about The Norman Conquests). This could do with being updated- Im sure he still has much to say.

[Duncan Maccoll]

Brilliant set of conversations between Alan and Ian Watson. These are from 1980/81 and reflect a very busy time for Alan.