Audiobooks by Alan Ayckbourn

The price of accidental fame is hashed out in this comedy about a famous bank robber and the clerk who foiled his biggest heist. Ayckbourn’s 1988 play anticipates the popularity - and absurdity - of reality TV. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Rosalind Ayres as Jill Rillington Jane Carr as Trudy Parks Kenneth Danziger as Douglas Beechey Martin Jarvis as Vic Parks Ian Oglivy as Kenny Collins Yeardley Smith as Sharon Giffin Directed by Robert Robinson. Recorded before a live audience in Santa Monica, CA in February, 1994.

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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Alan Ayckbourn: In His Own Words

Alan Ayckbourn is a multi-award-winning playwright, whose plays have been seen in the West End, on Broadway and worldwide. In this collection we hear - in his own words - about his family and upbringing; on being a writer and director, as well as those who influenced him. He discusses the characters he creates and his time in Scarborough, and also his childhood and his love of theatre. Alan also talks about his relationships - on and off stage - and touches on his personal life. The interviews on this collection include: Today, BBC Radio 2 (first broadcast 2 March 1979); Saturday Review, BBC 2 (first broadcast 4 June 1980); The Levin Interview, BBC 2 (first broadcast 1 July 1984); Kaleidoscope, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast 21 November 1984); The Michael Parkinson Programme, BBC Radio 2 (first broadcast 28 May 1987); Meridian, BBC World Service (first broadcast 5 September 1989); Omnibus, BBC 1 (first broadcast 13 February 1990); Alan Ayckbourn in Conversation, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast May 1991); Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2 (first broadcast 24 January 2010); Imagine, BBC 1 (first broadcast 15 November 2011). Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Alan Ayckbourn (Narrator)

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The Alan Ayckbourn Collection

Six plays from the Olivier, Tony and Moliere Award winning playwright Alan Ayckbourn: The legendary The Norman Conquests trilogy; as well as a brand new recording of his play Henceforward… starring Mad Men’s Jarred Harris alongside Anne Heche; Just Between Ourselves starring Alfred Molina; and a remaster of L.A. Theatre Works’ recording of Man of the Moment. Ayckbourn’s celebrated trilogy The Norman Conquests - three hilarious and poignant plays depicting the same six characters in one house over one weekend, namely Norman and his romantic follies. Table Manners (The Norman Conquest part 1): England’s famous seducer of other men’s wives lays siege to his sister-in-law in the first “battle”. A middle-class family trying to have a pleasant country weekend is no match for Norman, who horrifies everyone by doing exactly as he likes. Living Together (The Norman Conquest part 2): In the second “battle” Norman gets drunk on homemade wine – and all hell breaks loose. He unleashes his merry brand of manipulative charm on the hapless guests and even his most formidable opponents go down in defeat on the drawing room rug. Round and Round the Garden (The Norman Conquest part 3): In the third “battle” the setting is Mother’s overgrown English garden, where something more troublesome than brambles lurks among the roses. Havoc ensues as this satirical masterpiece makes its way to a hilarious conclusion. Cast: Rosalind Ayres as Sarah, Kenneth Danziger as Reg, Martin Jarvis as Norman, Jane Leeves as Annie, Christopher Neame as Tom, and Carolyn Seymour as Ruth. Directed by Dennis Erdman. Just Between Ourselves: Starring Alfred Molina, this is the first of Ayckbourn’s darkly comic masterpieces involves a relentlessly cheerful handyman in a disastrously fractured marriage. Two couples develop an unlikely friendship in this painfully funny portrait of British suburban life. Cast: Gia Carides as Pam, Kenneth Danziger as Dennis, Judy Geeson as Vera, Miriam Margolyes as Marjorie and Alfred Molina as Neil. Directed by Waris Hussein. Henceforward... Writers block, divorce and a female robot. These are the ingredients for the hilarious Henceforward. Alan Ayckbourn writes about the not so distant future of what lengths a man will go to be inspired again, gain the love of his daughter and redress the pain of his past. Cast: Jared Harris as Jerome, Anne Heche as Nan (act I) and Corrina, Jack Davenport as Mervyn, Paula Jane Newman as Geain, Moira Quirk as Zoe and Nan (act II) and Darren Richardson as Lupus. Directed by Martin Jarvis. Man of the Moment: The price of accidental fame is hashed out in this comedy, insired by the Great Train Robbers such as Edwards and Ronnie Biggs, about a famous bank robber and the clerk who foiled his biggest heist. Ayckbourn’s 1988 play anticipates the popularity - and absurdity - of reality TV. Cast: Rosalind Ayres as Jill Rillington, Jane Carr as Trudy Parks, Kenneth Danziger as Douglas Beechey, Martin Jarvis as Vic Parks, Ian Oglivy as Kenny Collins and Yeardley Smith as Sharon Giffin. Directed by Robert Robinson.

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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Season's Greetings

Christmas is the season of good cheer and harmony among men, but things are not working out quite that way in the Bunker household. As a motley collection of friends and relatives fill the house with their own wishes, dreams and attitudes, the stage is set for seasonal disharmony and romantic intrigue. It's Christmas Eve and while Belinda is rushing around decorating the tree and seeing to all the guests and their needs, Eddie and Pattie are having a serious bust-up. Added to all of this, Bernard is conducting a chaotic rehearsal of his annual gift for the children - a puppet show of The Three Little Pigs - as his wife, Phyllis gets quietly sloshed in the kitchen on the cooking wine. Then something disastrous occurs...

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), , Bill Nighy, Frances Barber, Geoffrey Palmer, John L. Sessions, John Sessions, Phil Daniels (Narrator)

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Henceforward...

Starring Anne Heche and Jared Harris, the hilarious Henceforward... is one of Alan Ayckbourn’s most unusual works. In the near-future, a composer with creative block tries to re-unite with his estranged wife and daughter, hoping their reconciliation will free his mind to create his greatest musical masterpiece. But his own erratic impulses hinder his journey to creative freedom. Includes a interview with playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Jared Harris as Jerome Anne Heche as Nan (in Act I) and Corrina Jack Davenport as Mervyn Paula Jane Newman as Geain Moira Quirk as Zoe and Nan (in Act II) Darren Richardson as Lupus Directed by Martin Jarvis. Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood.

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Anne Heche, Darren Richardson, Jack Davenport, Jared Harris, Moira Quirk, Paula Jane Newman (Narrator)

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Norman Conquests, The (Classic Radio Theatre)

When the deviously amorous Norman plans a clandestine weekend away with his sister-in-law, he has some fun and games in mind. But not quite the fun and games that he gets... Ayckbourn's trilogy has been hailed as a mould-breaking masterpiece. All three plays take place concurrently so an exit in one becomes an entrance in another and can be played in any order. The story of the same dreadful weekend is illuminated from three different vantage points: the dining room, the sitting room and the garden. With a distinguished cast including Robin Herford as Norman and Tessa Peake-Jones as Sarah, The Norman Conquests is a brilliantly entertaining comedy of our time: wise and witty, funny and profound.

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Full Cast, Robin Herford, Tessa Peake-Jones (Narrator)

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Just Between Ourselves

The first of Ayckbourn’s darkly comic masterpieces involves a relentlessly cheerful handyman in a disastrously fractured marriage. Two couples develop an unlikely friendship in this painfully funny portrait of British suburban life. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Gia Carides as Pam Kenneth Danziger as Dennis Judy Geeson as Vera Miriam Margolyes as Marjorie Alfred Molina as Neil Directed by Waris Hussein. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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Living Together

In the second “battle” of Ayckbourn’s celebrated triology The Norman Conquests, we rejoin the family weekend, this time hearing the events in the living room, where Norman gets drunk on homemade dandelion wine – and all hell breaks loose. Norman unleashes his merry brand of manipulative charm on the hapless guests and even his most formidable opponents go down in defeat on the drawing room rug. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Rosalind Ayres as Sarah Kenneth Danziger as Reg Martin Jarvis as Norman Jane Leeves as Annie Christopher Neame as Tom Carolyn Seymour as Ruth

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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Round and Round the Garden

The third “battle” of Ayckbourn’s celebrated trilogy The Norman Conquests, returns us to the same weekend in the country, but this time to the setting of Mother’s overgrown English country garden. Something more troublesome than brambles is lurking among the roses. Havoc ensues among the flora and fauna, as this cynical masterpiece makes its way to a hilarious conclusion. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Rosalind Ayres as Sarah, Kenneth Danziger as Reg, Martin Jarvis as Norman, Jane Leeves as Annie, Christopher Neame as Tom, and Carolyn Seymour as Ruth.

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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Table Manners

England’s famous seducer of other men’s wives lays siege to his sister-in-law in the first “battle” of Ayckbourn’s celebrated trilogy The Norman Conquests. In Table Manners, the action occurs in the dining room of Mother’s house, where a conventional middle-class family is attempting to have a pleasant country weekend. But they are no match for Norman, the bane of the family, who horrifies everyone by doing exactly as he likes. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Rosalind Ayres as Sarah Kenneth Danziger as Reg Martin Jarvis as Norman Jane Leeves as Annie Christopher Neame as Tom Carolyn Seymour as Ruth.

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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The Norman Conquests

Ayckbourn’s celebrated trilogy The Norman Conquests - three hilarious and poignant plays depicting the same six characters in one house over one weekend, namely Norman and his romantic follies. Table Manners: England’s famous seducer of other men’s wives lays siege to his sister-in-law in the first “battle”. A middle-class family trying to have a pleasant country weekend is no match for Norman, who horrifies everyone by doing exactly as he likes. Living Together: In the second “battle” Norman gets drunk on homemade wine – and all hell breaks loose. He unleashes his merry brand of manipulative charm on the hapless guests and even his most formidable opponents go down in defeat on the drawing room rug. Round and Round the Garden: In the third “battle” the setting is Mother’s overgrown English garden, where something more troublesome than brambles lurks among the roses. Havoc ensues as this satirical masterpiece makes its way to a hilarious conclusion. L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performances featuring: Rosalind Ayres as Sarah Kenneth Danziger as Reg Martin Jarvis as Norman Jane Leeves as Annie Christopher Neame as Tom Carolyn Seymour as Ruth

Alan Ayckbourn (Author), Various Performers (Narrator)

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