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YOU WONT BELIEVE: Alan ayckbourn - You Need To See This

Woman in Mind at Duke of York’s Theatre review: Sheridan Smith elevates this somewhat dated material

3/5 Smith has a uniquely vivid physical presence, and her emotions are shimmeringly close to the surface

Evening Standard

Earth Angel review – Alan Ayckbourn’s 91st play is a plea for decency

In our polarised times, this is a generous-hearted look at the friendship struck up between an enigmatic young man and a grieving widower

The Guardian - UK

Sheridan Smith to star in new production of Alan Ayckbourn play

Described as a ‘gripping exploration of identity, family, and mental escape’, Woman In Mind will be performed in London, Sunderland and Glasgow.

Evening Standard

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
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Alan Strachan obituary

Director in the West End and regional theatre for five decades who often worked with the playwright Alan Ayckbourn

The Guardian - UK

The Guardian view on the meaning of life: Easter and the ultimate question

Editorial: From Verdi to Douglas Adams, artists and writers have wrestled with why we are here. The Christian festival gives us pause to reflect

The Guardian - UK

Just Between Ourselves review – Ayckbourn’s marital malaise comedy has a proto dark side

While it might have been revealing to 1970s audiences, this domestic drama featuring cliche characters and a wavering tone fails to pack the same punch

The Guardian - UK

Show & Tell review – Alan Ayckbourn’s clever, very funny 90th play

A ‘sprightly comedy’ isn’t all it seems in this beautifully performed drama, which the playwright directs

The Guardian - UK

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Show & Tell review – Ayckbourn’s latter-day Lear blusters around the front room

When the retired MD of a department store books a theatre company to perform at his home, relationships and reality begin to unravel

The Guardian - UK

‘My first play was terrible!’ Alan Ayckbourn on his dazzling career – and writing his 90th play

As he hits an extraordinary landmark, the playwright relives his first drama, which made him £30, and recalls bouncing back from the stroke that left him desolate and devoid of ideas

The Guardian - UK

Harry Hill: ‘I always thought I’d make a good serial killer’

As he gets ready to celebrate ‘60 years of fun’ ahead of his milestone birthday, the doctor-turned-comedian answers your questions on baldness, red-carpet moments and being a people-pleaser

The Guardian - UK

Alan Ayckbourn was ahead of the curve in predictions of AI-created TV soaps

Letters: Yvonne Whalley on the rise of AI actors. Plus Mike Peacock on Donald Sinden’s Othello

The Guardian - UK

Letter: Peter Wilson obituary

Harland Walshaw writes: Peter Wilson took The Woman in Black from the cafe of the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, to the West End, where it ran for more than 30 years

The Guardian - UK

Sir Michael Gambon obituary

Versatile actor with a magnificent presence who starred in The Singing Detective and the Harry Potter films

The Guardian - UK

Constant Companions review – Ayckbourn’s sex robots show our need for messy humanity

Ayckbourn has fun imagining the hazards of malfunctioning android lovers and misbehaving auto-maids – but there’s a deeper message too about human desire

The Guardian - UK

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The Guardian - UK

Malcolm Mowbray obituary

Film-maker who directed the 1984 classic A Private Function, starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith

The Guardian - UK

Stephen Wood obituary

Other lives: Head of the press office at the National Theatre and executive director at the Stephen Joseph theatre in Scarborough

Evening Standard

Sir Alan Ayckbourn surprises new cast of Round and Round the Garden with heartfelt letter

The classic play is celebrating its 50th anniversary

The Guardian - UK

Welcome to the Family review – Alan Ayckbourn’s ingenious 88th play promises more than it delivers

The playwright’s latest comedy boasts some fine acting, and touches on big themes, but fails to engage emotionally

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The Guardian - UK

Woman in Mind review – when the vicar’s wife’s worst nightmare is her own life

Jenna Russell stars in Alan Ayckbourn’s exploration of mental illness with an accomplished cast of supporting characters ably adding to the anguish

The Guardian - UK

A laughing robot and the possibilities of AI

Letter: Yvonne Whalley remembers a play in which a robot develops at least one human trait

The Guardian - UK

Family Album review – Alan Ayckbourn’s playful snapshot of social flux

Skipping between three generations from the 50s to the present, this occasionally poignant play pulls back from the emotional force of its concept

The Guardian - UK

The Guardian view on Alan Ayckbourn: a tonic for sick times

Editorial: Don’t assume that the arts are just about entertainment – they have a crucial part to play in the mental health of the nation

The Guardian - UK

Jennifer Piercey obituary

Other lives: Actor who worked with Alan Ayckbourn and appeared on TV in The Two of Us

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