By Alan Ayckbourn
Directed by Michael Cabot
Set & Costume Design by Elizabeth Wright
Lighting by Clare O’Donoghue
Cast: Joseph Clowser, Helen Phillips, Tom Richardson, Holly Smith, Connie Walker.
EVENT INFORMATION
Various Dates
Various Times
Theatre
Prices vary
Plus booking fee £1.50 per ticket online/phone
Thursday 19 June 2025
BOOK 19:30
Friday 20 June 2025
BOOK 19:30
Five birthdays. Two unhappy marriages. One possessive mother.
It is 1976. Dennis tinkers in his garage, cheerfully indifferent to wife Vera’s impending breakdown. Marjorie hovers in the background, making tea and finding fault. Neil has planned a birthday surprise for his wife, but Pam doesn’t share his enthusiasm, preoccupied by frustrations of her own.
In perhaps his most emotionally charged play, Alan Ayckbourn masterfully evokes a world of hidden tensions and suppressed hostility. He skilfully navigates the tightrope between comedy and tragedy, guiding us towards a hilarious, yet chilling finale.
An Olivier and Tony Award winning playwright, Alan Ayckbourn’s ninety plays have been produced worldwide. Notable successes include: The Norman Conquests, Relatively Speaking, Bedroom Farce, A Chorus of Disapproval and Communicating Doors.
Following successful tours of Absent Friends (2015) and Absurd Person Singular (2020-21), Alan Ayckbourn’s 1976 masterclass in suburban comedy and heartbreak will form the centrepiece of London Classic Theatre’s 25th Anniversary celebrations.
Cast & Crew
Reviews
‘A master of comic ingenuity.’ – The Guardian