One doesn’t normally associate Alan Ayckbourn with horror. The prolific writer, normally more familiar with suburban comedy, has though turned his hand to a chilling thriller. First performed in 1994 and revived in Lichfield and London in 2011, Haunting Julia now stretches its spectral legs on a first ever national tour. While the territory may…
To sleep, perchance to dream. Though in Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce there’s little chance of sleep. In three bedrooms, across one night, recriminations and repercussions keeps the occupants awake most of the night. In one, Kate and Malcolm are getting ready for a housewarming party, a second sees Jan getting ready to attend that party,…
You can choose your friends but not your family. Despite the blood ties it’s surprising that clan gatherings don’t come with a health warning. Or at least that’s the impression Alan Ayckbourn would give us with his bleak look at the familial festive gathering. Hostess Belinda is frantically trying to marshal her husband and assembled…