Editing Alan Ayckbourn (section)

==Career==

===Early career and acting===

On leaving school, Ayckbourn's theatrical career began immediately, when his French master introduced him to Sir [[Donald Wolfit]].<ref>P. Allen, 2001, p. 32</ref> Ayckbourn joined Wolfit on tour to the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] as an acting assistant stage manager (a role that involved both acting and stage management) for three weeks.<ref name=webbio/><ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 36–38</ref> His first experiences on the professional stage were various roles in ''The Strong are Lonely'' by [[Fritz Hochwälder]].<ref name=acting>{{cite web|url=http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyActing.htm |title=Acting career on official Ayckbourn site |publisher=Biography.alanayckbourn.net |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723010505/http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyActing.htm |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the following year, Ayckbourn appeared in six other plays at the Connaught Theatre, [[Worthing]]<ref name=webbio/><ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 38–40</ref> and the Thorndike theatre, [[Leatherhead]]<ref name=webbio/><ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 41–43</ref> where [[Hazel Vincent Wallace]] employed him as both an actor and an assistant stage manager.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Allen |first1=Paul |title=Grinning At The Edge: A Biography of Alan Ayckbourn |date=13 February 2014 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4081-1785-9 |page=41 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Grinning_At_The_Edge/UWOJAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Hazel%20Vincent%20Wallace%22%20-wikipedia&pg=PA41&printsec=frontcover |access-date=18 April 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1957, Ayckbourn was employed by the director [[Stephen Joseph]] at the Library Theatre, [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]], the predecessor to the modern [[Stephen Joseph Theatre]].<ref name=webbio/><ref name=p41/> Again, his role was initially as acting stage manager.<ref name=webbio/><ref name=p41/> This employment led to Ayckbourn's first professional script commission, in 1958. When he complained about the quality of a script he was performing, Joseph challenged him to write a better one. The result was ''The Square Cat'', written under the pseudonym Roland Allen and first performed in 1959.<ref>P. Allen, 2001, p. 65</ref> In this play, Ayckbourn himself played the character of Jerry Watiss.<ref name=acting/>

In 1962, after thirty-four appearances in plays at the Library Theatre, including four of his own, Ayckbourn moved to [[Stoke-on-Trent]] to help set up the Victoria Theatre (now the [[New Vic Theatre|New Vic]]),<ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 87–88</ref> where he appeared in a further eighteen plays.<ref name=acting/> His final appearance in one of his own plays was as the Crimson Gollywog in the disastrous children's play ''Christmas v Mastermind''.<ref>P. Allen, 2001, p. 90</ref> He left the Stoke company in 1964, officially to commit his time to the London production of ''Mr. Whatnot'', but reportedly because was having trouble working with the artistic director, [[Peter Cheeseman]].<ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 98–99</ref> By now, his career as a writer was coming to fruition and his acting career was sidelined.

His final role on stage was as Jerry in ''[[Two for the Seesaw (play)|Two for the Seesaw]]'' by [[William Gibson (playwright)|William Gibson]], at the [[Rotherham Civic Theatre and Arts Centre|Civic Theatre]] in [[Rotherham]].<ref name=acting/> He was left stranded on stage because Heather Stoney (his future wife) was unable to re-appear due to her props not being ready for use. This led to his conclusion that acting was more trouble than it was worth.<ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 99–100</ref> The assistant stage manager on the production, [[Bill Kenwright]], would go on to become one of the UK's most successful producers.

===Writing===
Ayckbourn's first play, ''The Square Cat'', was sufficiently popular locally to secure further commissions, although neither this nor the following three plays had much impact beyond Scarborough.<ref>History of early plays on official Ayckbourn site [http://thesquarecat.alanayckbourn.net/SquareCatHistory.htm]{{dead link|date=July 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} [http://loveafterall.alanayckbourn.net/LoveAfterAllHistory.htm]{{dead link|date=July 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} {{cite web |title=Alan Ayckbourn Plays: Dad's Tale |url=http://dadstale.alanayckbourn.net/DadsTaleHistory.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107085522/http://dadstale.alanayckbourn.net/DadsTaleHistory.htm |archive-date=7 January 2009 |access-date=4 May 2009}} {{cite web |title=Alan Ayckbourn Plays: Standing Room Only |url=http://standingroomonly.alanayckbourn.net/StandingRoomOnlyHistory.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517165122/http://standingroomonly.alanayckbourn.net/StandingRoomOnlyHistory.htm |archive-date=17 May 2008 |access-date=4 May 2009}}</ref> After his transfer to [[New Vic Theatre|Victoria Theatre]] in [[Stoke-on-Trent]], ''Christmas v Mastermind'', flopped; this play is now universally regarded as Ayckbourn's greatest disaster.<ref>[http://christmasvmastermind.alanayckbourn.net/ChristmasVMastermindHistory.htm ''Christmas v Mastermind'' history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107084059/http://christmasvmastermind.alanayckbourn.net/ChristmasVMastermindHistory.htm |date=7 January 2009 }} on official Ayckbourn site.</ref><ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 89–90</ref>

Ayckbourn's fortunes revived in 1963 with ''Mr. Whatnot'', which also premiered at the Victoria Theatre. This was the first play that Ayckbourn was sufficiently happy with to allow continued performances today, and the first play to receive a [[West End theatre|West End]] performance. However, the West End production flopped, in part due to misguided casting.<ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 96, 101–102</ref><ref>[http://mrwhatnot.alanayckbourn.net/MrWhatnotHistory.htm ''Mr. Whatnot'' history]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on official Ayckbourn site.</ref> After this, Ayckbourn experimented by collaborating with comedians, first writing a monologue for [[Tommy Cooper]], and later with [[Ronnie Barker]], who played Lord Slingsby-Craddock in the London production of ''Mr Whatnot'' in 1964, on the scripts for [[London Weekend Television|LWT]]'s ''[[Hark at Barker]]''. Ayckbourn used the pseudonym Peter Caulfield because he was under exclusive contract to the [[BBC]] at the time.<ref>P. Allen, 2001, p. 108</ref>

In 1965, back at the Scarborough Library Theatre, ''Meet my Father'' was produced, and later retitled ''[[Relatively Speaking (play)|Relatively Speaking]]''. This time, the play was a massive success, both in Scarborough and in the West End, earning Ayckbourn a congratulatory telegram from [[Noël Coward]].<ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 109–113</ref><ref>[http://relativelyspeaking.alanayckbourn.net/RelativelySpeakingHistory.htm ''Relatively Speaking'' history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922000358/http://relativelyspeaking.alanayckbourn.net/RelativelySpeakingHistory.htm |date=22 September 2008 }} on official Ayckbourn site</ref> This was not quite the end of Ayckbourn's hit-and-miss record. His next play, ''[[The Sparrow (1967 play)|The Sparrow]]'' ran for only three weeks at Scarborough <ref>P. Allen, 2001, p. 119</ref><ref>[http://thesparrow.alanayckbourn.net/TheSparrowHistory.htm ''The Sparrow'' history]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on official Ayckbourn site</ref> but the following play, ''[[How the Other Half Loves]]'', secured his runaway success as a playwright.<ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 122–123</ref><ref>[http://howtheotherhalfloves.alanayckbourn.net/ ''How the Other Half Loves'' history] on official Ayckbourn site</ref>

The height of Ayckbourn's commercial success came with plays such as ''[[Absurd Person Singular]]'' (1975), ''[[The Norman Conquests]]'' trilogy (1973), ''[[Bedroom Farce (play)|Bedroom Farce]]'' (1975) and ''Just Between Ourselves'' (1976). These plays focused heavily on marriage in the British middle classes. The only failure during this period was a 1975 musical with [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]], ''[[Jeeves (musical)|Jeeves]]''; even this did little to dent Ayckbourn's career.<ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 146–148</ref><ref>[http://jeeves.alanayckbourn.net/JeevesHistory.htm ''Jeeves'' history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226211945/http://jeeves.alanayckbourn.net/JeevesHistory.htm |date=26 February 2009 }} on official Ayckbourn site</ref>

From the 1980s, Ayckbourn moved away from the recurring theme of marriage to explore other contemporary issues. One example was ''[[Woman in Mind]]'', a play performed entirely from the perspective of a woman going through a nervous breakdown.<ref>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 213–217</ref><ref>[http://womaninmind.alanayckbourn.net/WomanInMindHistory.htm ''Woman in Mind'' history]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on official Ayckbourn site</ref> He also experimented with unconventional ways of writing plays: ''Intimate Exchanges'', for example, has one beginning and sixteen possible endings, and in ''[[House & Garden (plays)|House & Garden]]'', two plays take place simultaneously on two separate stages. He also diversified into children's theatre, such as ''[[Mr A's Amazing Maze Plays]]'' and musical plays, such as ''[[By Jeeves]]'' (a more successful rewrite of the original ''Jeeves'').

With a résumé of over seventy plays, of which more than forty have played at the National Theatre or in the West End, Alan Ayckbourn is one of England's most successful living playwrights. Despite his success, honours and awards (which include a prestigious [[Laurence Olivier Award]]), Alan Ayckbourn remains a relatively anonymous figure, dedicated to regional theatre.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Gibson | first = Melissa | title = Alan Ayckbourn: Grinning at the Edge | journal = Theatre Journal | year = 2002  }}</ref> Throughout his writing career, all but four of his plays premiered at the [[Stephen Joseph Theatre]] in Scarborough in its three different locations.<ref name=webbio/>

Ayckbourn received the CBE in 1987<ref name=webbio/><ref>P. Allen, 2001, p. 220</ref> and was knighted in the [[1997 New Year Honours]].<ref name=webbio/><ref name=knighted/> It is frequently claimed<ref>See, for example, [https://web.archive.org/web/20091122081631/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/alan-ayckbourn-you-ask-the-questions-586304.html] [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jul/06/1] [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/4550763/Alan-Ayckbourn-Why-my-shows-must-go-on.html]</ref> (but not proved)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyFAQPopularity.htm |title=FAQ popularity on Ayckbourn site |publisher=Biography.alanayckbourn.net |date=2 November 1983 |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723010523/http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyFAQPopularity.htm |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> that Alan Ayckbourn is the most performed living English playwright, and the second most performed of all time, after [[Shakespeare]].

Although Ayckbourn's plays no longer dominate the theatrical scene on the scale of his earlier works, he continues to write. Among major success has been ''[[Private Fears in Public Places]]'', which had a hugely successful [[Off-Broadway]] run at [[59E59 Theaters]] and, in 2006, was made into a film, ''[[Cœurs]]'', directed by [[Alain Resnais]].<ref>[http://privatefears.alanayckbourn.net/PrivateFearsInPublicPlacesHistory.htm ''Private Fears in Public Places'' history]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on official Ayckbourn site</ref> After Ayckbourn suffered a stroke, there was uncertainty as to whether he could continue to write.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hudson |first=Lincoln |url=http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/inthepaper/2007/03/its-easier-to-return-to-directing-than-writing-say/ |title=It's easier to return to directing than writing|date=22 March 2007 |work=The Stage |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720192153/http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/inthepaper/2007/03/its-easier-to-return-to-directing-than-writing-say/ |archive-date=20 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The play that premiered immediately after his stroke, ''[[If I Were You (play)|If I Were You]]'', had been written before his illness; the first play written afterwards, ''[[Life and Beth]]'', premiered in the summer of 2008. Ayckbourn continues to write for the Stephen Joseph Theatre on the invitation of his successor as artistic director, Chris Monks. The first new play under this arrangement, ''[[My Wonderful Day]]'', was performed in October 2009.<ref>[http://www.alanayckbourn.net/NewsCalender.htm News calendar] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821163103/http://www.alanayckbourn.net/NewsCalender.htm |date=21 August 2008 }} on official Ayckbourn site.</ref>

Ayckbourn continues to experiment with theatrical form. The play ''Roundelay'' opened in September 2014; before each performance, members of the audience are invited to extract five coloured ping pong balls from a bag, leaving the order in which each of the five acts is played left to chance, and allowing 120 possible permutations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Youngs|first1=Ian|title=Sir Alan Ayckbourn: Using ping pong balls to keep theatre alive|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27323500|access-date=12 June 2014|work=BBC News|date=12 June 2014}}</ref> In ''Arrivals and Departures'' (2013), the first half of the play is told from the point of view of one character, only for the second half to dramatise the same events from the point of view of another.

Many of Ayckbourn's plays, including ''[[Private Fears in Public Places]]'', ''[[Intimate Exchanges]]'', ''[[My Wonderful Day]]'' and ''[[Neighbourhood Watch (Ayckbourn play)|Neighbourhood Watch]]'', have had their New York premiere at [[59E59 Theaters]] as part of the annual Brits Off Broadway Festival.

In 2019, Ayckbourn had published his first novel, ''The Divide'', which had previously been showcased during a reading at the Stephen Joseph Theatre.

As a consequence of the Covid lockdown, Ayckbourn's 2020 play, ''Anno Domino,'' was recorded as a radio production, with Ayckbourn and his wife Heather playing all the roles. Similarly, Ayckbourn's Covid-period 2021 play, ''The Girl Next Door'', was streamed online and made available behind a paywall on the Stephen Joseph Theatre's website.

In 2022, the first Ayckbourn play in around 60 years premiered in a venue other than Scarborough: ''All Lies'' at the Old Laundry in Bowness-on-Windermere.

===Directing===

Although Ayckbourn is best known as a writer, it is said that he only spends 10% of his time writing plays. Most of the remaining time is spent directing.<ref name=10pc>P. Allen, 2001, pp. 84–85</ref>

Ayckbourn began directing at the [[Stephen Joseph Theatre|Scarborough Library Theatre]] in 1961, with a production of ''[[Gaslight (play)|Gaslight]]'' by [[Patrick Hamilton (dramatist)|Patrick Hamilton]].<ref name=10pc/><ref name="direct-early">{{cite web |url=http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20Library.htm |title=List of plays directed by Ayckbourn 1961–1976 |publisher=Directing.alanayckbourn.net |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723011515/http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20Library.htm |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> During that year and the next, he directed five other plays in Scarborough and, after transferring to the [[New Vic Theatre|Victoria Theatre]], in 1963 directed a further six plays. Between 1964 and 1967, much of his time was taken up by various productions of his early successes, ''Mr. Whatnot'' and ''[[Relatively Speaking (play)|Relatively Speaking]]'' and he directed only one play, ''[[The Sparrow (1967 play)|The Sparrow]]'', which he wrote and which was later withdrawn. In 1968, he resumed directing plays regularly, mostly at Scarborough.<ref name="direct-early"/> At this time he also worked as a radio drama producer for the BBC, based in Leeds.

At first, his directing career was kept separate from his writing career. It was not until 1963 that Ayckbourn directed a play of his own (a revival of ''Standing Room Only'') and 1967 before he directed a premiere of his own (''The Sparrow'').<ref name="direct-early"/> The London premieres remained in the hands of other directors for longer;  the first of his own plays to be directed by him in London was ''[[Bedroom Farce (play)|Bedroom Farce]],'' in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20SJTITR.htm |title=List of plays directed by Ayckbourn 1976–1995 |publisher=Directing.alanayckbourn.net |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723010448/http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20SJTITR.htm |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref name=playguide>{{cite book|first=Paul|last=Allen|title=A Pocket Guide to Alan Ayckbourn's Plays|publisher=Faber & Faber|year=2004|isbn=0-571-21492-4}}</ref>

After the death of [[Stephen Joseph]] in 1967, the Director of Productions was appointed on an annual basis. Ayckbourn was offered the position in 1969 and 1970, succeeding Rodney Wood, but he handed the position over to Caroline Smith in 1971, having spent most that year in the US with ''[[How the Other Half Loves]]''. He became Director of Productions again in 1972 and, on 12 November of that year, he was made the permanent artistic director of the theatre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyAD.htm |title=Notes on Ayckbourn site on artistic director position |publisher=Biography.alanayckbourn.net |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723010611/http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyAD.htm |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

In mid-1986, Ayckbourn accepted an invitation to work as a visiting director for two years at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] in London, to form his own company, and perform a play in each of the three auditoria, provided at least one was a new play of his own.<ref name=p219>P. Allen, 2001, p. 219</ref> He used a stock company that included performers such as [[Michael Gambon]], [[Polly Adams]] and [[Simon Cadell]]. The three plays became four: ''Tons of Money'' by [[Will Evans (writer)|Will Evans]] and [[Archibald Thomas Pechey|Valentine]], with adaptations by Ayckbourn (Lyttelton); [[Arthur Miller]]'s ''[[A View From the Bridge]]'' (Cottesloe); his own play ''[[A Small Family Business]]'' (Olivier) and [[John Ford (dramatist)|John Ford]]'s ''[['Tis Pity She's a Whore]]'' (Olivier again).<ref>Production details for [http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20Tons%20Of%20Money02.htm ''Tons of Money'']  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723010613/http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20Tons%20Of%20Money02.htm |date=23 July 2011 }}, [http://aviewfromthebridge.alanayckbourn.net/AViewFromTheBridgeProductions.htm ''A View From the Bridge''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723005853/http://aviewfromthebridge.alanayckbourn.net/AViewFromTheBridgeProductions.htm |date=23 July 2011 }}, [http://asmallfamilybusiness.alanayckbourn.net/ASmallFamilyBusinessProductions.htm ''A Small Family Business'']  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626063644/http://asmallfamilybusiness.alanayckbourn.net/ASmallFamilyBusinessProductions.htm |date=26 June 2009 }} and [http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20Tis%20Pity.htm ''<nowiki>'Tis a Pity She's a Whore</nowiki>'']  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723011354/http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20Tis%20Pity.htm |date=23 July 2011 }}</ref> During this time, Ayckbourn shared his role of artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre with Robin Herford<ref name=p219/><ref name=FAQnat>{{cite web |url=http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyFAQNational.htm |title=FAQ on Ayckbourn site on NAtional Theater |publisher=Biography.alanayckbourn.net |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723010908/http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyFAQNational.htm |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> and returned in 1987 to direct the premiere of ''[[Henceforward...]]''.<ref name=playguide/><ref name=FAQnat/>

He announced in 1999 that he would step back from directing the work of other playwrights, to concentrate on his own plays,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyChronology.htm |title=Chronological biography on Ayckbourn site |publisher=Biography.alanayckbourn.net |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723011136/http://biography.alanayckbourn.net/BiographyChronology.htm |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> the last one being [[Rob Shearman]]'s ''Knights in Plastic Armour'' in 1999; he made one exception in 2002, when he directed the world premiere of [[Tim Firth]]'s ''The Safari Party''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20SJT.htm |title=List of plays directed by Ayckbourn 1996–present |publisher=Directing.alanayckbourn.net |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723010525/http://directing.alanayckbourn.net/Plays%20-%20SJT.htm |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

In 2002, following a dispute over the [[Duchess Theatre]]'s handling of ''[[Damsels in Distress (plays)|Damsels in Distress]]'', Ayckbourn sharply criticised both this and the [[West End theatre|West End]]'s treatment of theatre in general and, in particular, their casting of celebrities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8821035534506 |title=whatsonstage.com, 25 October 2002 |publisher=Whatsonstage.com |date=7 September 2002 |access-date=29 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616081926/http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8821035534506 |archive-date=16 June 2011  }}</ref> Although he did not explicitly say he would boycott the West End, he did not return to direct in there again until 2009, with a revival of ''[[Woman in Mind]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lalayn Baluch |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/22693/ayckbourns-woman-in-mind-to-transfer-to-west |title=The Stage, 8 December 2008 |work=The Stage |date=8 December 2008 |access-date=29 August 2011}}</ref> He did, however, allow other West End producers to revive ''[[Absurd Person Singular]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Farndale|first=Nigel|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3669533/Alan-Ayckbourn-the-joker.html|title=Alan Ayckbourn: the joker|work=The Telegraph |date=25 November 2007 |access-date=29 August 2011 |location=London}}</ref> in 2007 and ''[[The Norman Conquests]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7636220.stm |title=Online, 25 September 2008 |work=BBC News |date=25 September 2008 |access-date=29 August 2011}}</ref> in 2008.

Ayckbourn suffered a stroke in February 2006 and returned to work in September; the premiere of his 70th play ''[[If I Were You (play)|If I Were You]]'' at the Stephen Joseph Theatre came the following month.<ref>{{cite web|author=Nuala Calvi |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/13421/ayckbourn-back-to-work-after-stroke |title=Ayckbourn back to work after stroke |work=The Stage |date=1 August 2006 |access-date=29 August 2011}}</ref>

He announced in June 2007 that he would retire as artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre after the 2008 season.<ref name="BBC News, 4 June 2007"/> His successor, Chris Monks, took over at the start of the 2009–2010 season<ref>{{cite news|author=Russell Hector |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/jun/04/culture.theatre |title=The Guardian, 4 June 2008 |newspaper=The Guardian |date= 4 June 2008|access-date=29 August 2011 |location=London}}</ref> but Ayckbourn remained to direct premieres and revivals of his work at the theatre, beginning with ''How the Other Half Loves'' in June 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/Classic-farce-set-to-return.5299724.jp |title=Scarborough Evening News, 26 May 2009 |publisher=Scarborougheveningnews.co.uk |date=22 May 2009 |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528204403/http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/Classic-farce-set-to-return.5299724.jp |archive-date=28 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In March 2010, he directed an in-the-round revival of his play ''Taking Steps'' at the [[Orange Tree Theatre]], winning universal press acclaim.<ref>John Thaxter [http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/27689/taking-steps] Taking Steps, ''The Stage'', 29 March 2010</ref>

In July 2014, Ayckbourn directed a musical adaptation of ''The Boy Who Fell into A Book'', with musical adaptation and lyrics by Paul James and music by Eric Angus and Cathy Shostak. The show ran in The Stephen Joseph Theatre and received critical acclaim.