Editing Alan Ayckbourn (section)

===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and he directed only one play, ''[[The Sparrow (1967 play)|The Sparrow]]'', which he wrote and which was later withdrawn.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.