The Comedies of Alan Ayckbourn A Study in Development

Abstract

The writing of the present thesis was sparked by an academic urge to celebrate the literary achievement of the contemporary English dramatist, Alan Ayckbourn (b.1939). Elected in an Observer poll the "Playwright's playwright" (Billington 211), Ayckbourn is "Britain's most prolific, most successful dramatist since Bernard Shaw" (Kalson, Laughter 9). In a piece entitled, "Bard of the British Bourgeoisie," Mell Gussow places him at "the pinnacle of his profession, someone who has earned his position alongside Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, and a very few others." (Gussow 23). Frank Rich equally suggests in The New York Times, that "at a time when England boasts of very few dramatists as vital as the dominant American playwrights of this decade, Mr. Ayckbourn is a one man renaissance" (Rich 13) Despite the fact that he has not yet received his due critical acknowledgement or professional accolade, Ayckbourn is a man of the theatre in every sense of the word; a stage manager, sound technician, lighting technician, scene painter, prop maker, actor, and director.