Rewriting The History of Absurd Person Singular
Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn is regarded as one of the most significant British plays of the 20th century and was named as one of the fifty greatest plays by The Times during 2018.
In 2022, during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the world premiere of Absurd Person Singular, a remarkable archival discovery was made which completely altered the accepted wisdom and perception of how the play was written and developed.
Long-thought lost, the abandoned original draft of the play was discovered by the playwright's Archivist, Simon Murgatroyd M.A., alongside other important material in the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York. This discovery not only changes our understanding of how this play was written but means - for the first time - we can trace the entire development of a seminal Ayckbourn play from earliest concept to award-winning West End production.
This website looks at the discovery and its significance, telling the story of how one of Alan Ayckbourn's most important works was created.
In 2022, during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the world premiere of Absurd Person Singular, a remarkable archival discovery was made which completely altered the accepted wisdom and perception of how the play was written and developed.
Long-thought lost, the abandoned original draft of the play was discovered by the playwright's Archivist, Simon Murgatroyd M.A., alongside other important material in the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York. This discovery not only changes our understanding of how this play was written but means - for the first time - we can trace the entire development of a seminal Ayckbourn play from earliest concept to award-winning West End production.
This website looks at the discovery and its significance, telling the story of how one of Alan Ayckbourn's most important works was created.
