Improbable Fiction

by Alan Ayckbourn

Six 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.

Genres: Plays

130 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

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

[Becca Morello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a wildly entertaining, creative, imaginative and hilarious show! Reading the script had me literally laughing out loud and so excited to be a part of its staging with Buffalo Theatre Ensemble! I cannot wait to bring Ilsa to life!

[Amber Dyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining premise, execution did not work for me. First act is functional but dull and the second act is inscrutable. On to the next!

[Sian Wadey · Rating 4 out of 5]

During September and October of 2013 I worked on Communicating Doors by Alan Ayckbourn at my local amateur theatre. I'm currently working on a new play, and one of the actors recommended Improbable Fiction to me, as it was somewhat like this one.
It didn't take me long to get stuck in. It's easy to read Ayckbourn's work, it reads like a novel rather than a play. The characters in this one are all eclectic and different. I got some of the female characters mixed up initially but as the play got going it became easier. I love that the names of the characters are distinctive and unusual too.
As a lover of the theatre and creative writing I really identified with this play. I know the frustration of not being able to get started on a book. One of the characters says that the book is good because she hasn't started it yet and as soon as she writes words it makes it worse. Hearing it described that way makes perfect sense and something I completely understand.
During the second act of the play, the creations of each of the characters come to life. This was the part that I felt was just ingenious. I imagined it as a stage manager with all the costume changes and the lighting changes and wish I'd been to see the production of Improbable Fiction when it was on at the Attfield.

[Duncan Maccoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, this is the funniest Ayckbourn play I have read or seen, bar none. Mind you, I have seen it three times, all at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and all with the same cast, directed by Ayckbourn himself. (update - more productions seen with joy)

My favourite characters are Clem, who writes science fiction, and Ilsa, who is helping Arnold with his mother (one of Ayckbourn's invisible characters, she never appears in person, but does influence events).

One word of warning, do not give up on this play after the first act. Read the play all the way through. Finish it, and you'll want to start again from the beginning, I did.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to rate a play when you've only read it and not seen it. It looks like it would be fun to do, and it made me laugh several times, but I don't feel like there was much there to think about. If you want a silly farce, then fine. But this wasn't for me.

[Tansy Hepton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably need to read this again, more slowly to get the full effect (and up the rating). I really enjoyed the different characters in the first act, but the second act was harder just to read and appreciate.