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Philip Ayckbourn

PHILIP AYCKBOURN  (1961 - )

 Nationality:    English
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    JFL Agency Ltd  represented by Dominic Lord

Trained as an actor at the Royal academy of Dramatic art 1992 - 1995. Subsequently worked as an actor/director in the UK. Co-founded Quorum Theatre Company in 1998 with fellow RaDa alumni Judi armstrong: a touring Theatre company, teaching English through Theatre to schools in France. as well as directing the productions, he has written eight one act plays for the company. In 2010 he co-founded PCK Productions with fellow writer/actor Kristina anne Howell. the company toured his full length comedy/farce 'the essence of Love' to Theatres in the south of england. With Kristina he wrote 'Virtually Just So', a modern take on Kipling's 'Just So Stories' for the youth production at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. He has just completed his third full length play entitled 'a Thorn in Midsummer'.

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below is a list of Philip Ayckbourn's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Episodes Of Us         Essence Of Love, The         Fool's Wager, A         In Jack We Trust         Necessary Change For the Better, A         Plan Of Action, A         Playing Mathilde         Recognise Me         Thorn In Midsummer, A         Virtually Just So

Episodes Of Us

Synopsis:
the six, twenty minute, one act plays follow the journey of Penny and Simon through the course of their sometimes harmonious, often turbulent, relationship over twenty-five years. Friends, flatmates and lovers are willing and unwilling participants in the couple's Dramas.

Notes:
the Big Match. Dinner Doubts. engagement Tackle. Internet Connection. Friends In Need. Meeting Apart.

1st Produced:
Originally a performed read through under the title Six asides in the Foyer of the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch    19 Nov 2009

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
one acts plays

Parts:
Male:  Min 2 Max 6            Female:  Min 2 Max 4            Other:  With the exception of Penny and Simon, all other roles can be played by 1F and 1M.

Further Reference:
-

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Essence Of Love, The

Synopsis:
a mother and her daughter; a father and his son find themselves on adjacent hotel terraces in Marrakech. there's anything but love in the air for the four British holiday makers. . . but when the gift of a magical elixir gets into the water, unlikely passions take root. This promises to be no ordinary spell in the sun! Overbearing Diana with her need for Drama; her anaemic, idealist daughter: Gemma; the aloof, young artist: Tom and his embarrassing, eternal skirt-chasing father: Martin, are in for a holiday they won't forget! the essence of Love looks at the longings of the heart and what remains when the excesses of passion have run their course.

Notes:
*the part of Abdul-Hamid can be played by Actor playing Martin. Music by Colin Appleby

1st Produced:
ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham, Hants.    26 May 2010

Organisations:
PCK Productions

1st Published:
http://www.stagescripts.com    -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy/farce

Parts:
Male:  (2*) 3            Female:  2            Other:  Voice of Young Street Vendor

Further Reference:
-

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Fool's Wager, A

Synopsis:
Jessica is blissfully in love with boyfriend Rick. . .or so it appears on the outside. But within, jealousy, possessiveness and insecurity gnaw away at her. In a foolish wager between herself and lovelorn flatmate, Laura, Jessica sets out to test the unassailable nature of Rick's devotion. Circumstances are arranged for his temptation, but Jessica's insecurities get the better of her. Her 'trust issues' send events down a precarious path of bluff and double bluff, flimsy disguises and suspect foreign accents. If love is to prevail then the demons of doubt must be expunged, but has Jessica's insecurity only served to force Rick to question his own feelings for her?

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Tour of Southern French Schools    2009

Organisations:
Quorum Theatre Company

1st Published:
http://www.stagescripts.com   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy one act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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In Jack We Trust

Synopsis:
the new community of arcadia is thriving under the charismatic eye of Founding Father, Jack Tyler. Complete with mock Tudor buildings and its own detailed history, thanks to self-appointed chronicler, Colin Greenwood, the community prepares to celebrate its third official anniversary with a pageant. But Jack's double dealings threaten to bring shame and ruin to the community and with personal ambitions and family tensions now finding voice, the fate of arcadia is soon hanging in the balance.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3            Other:  1M & 1F Voiceover

Further Reference:
-

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Necessary Change For the Better, A

Synopsis:
Jack Fellowes is in his mid-twenties, living at home and very much under the rule of his domineering and possessive mother, Rita. His only hope for independence, it seems, lies with Susan, his long-suffering girlfriend. To extricate Jack from his mother's 'fiendish clutches', Susan transforms herself into feisty New Yorker, Zara Prince. This, she hopes, will serve both to galvanise Jack's spirit and be a suitable adversary to the forbidding Mrs Fellowes. But Susan's deception could ultimately strike a mortal wound in the couples' relationship. . .a risk, however, she is prepared to take.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Tour of Southern French Schools    2005

Organisations:
Quorum Theatre Company

1st Published:
http://www.stagescripts.com   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy one act

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Plan Of Action, A

Plan Of Action, A
Widowed Roger and separated Samantha have recently started dating, but their teenage children are far from impressed about their new relationship. So Liam, Roger's son, and Tabitha, Samantha's daughter, have devised a plan of action to break them up. This comic scheme involves everything from French and Italian impersonations to a sword. . . but will it be enough to stop their parents' love? and could there in fact be feelings between the teenagers themselves?

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
tour of Southern French Schools    2008

Organisations:
Quorum Theatre Company

1st Published:
Samuel French, London >>>   978-057302384-2

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
comedy one act

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Playing Mathilde

Synopsis:
It is two years since Veronica Carter died, leaving husband, Harold and fifteen-year-old daughter, Nina, to cope the best they can. Harold has felt the burden of being a single parent and has perhaps, Nina would argue, become too strict with her. Not only must she study relentlessly, but any contact with boyfriend, Tommy Robbins, is to be kept to a bare minimum. However, life in the Carter household is soon to change with the imminent arrival of Madame Lapierre, a young(ish) French au pair. Harold believes she will be beneficial for Nina's French, an asset to the home and - to the horror of Nina - perhaps provide him with the possibility of new romance. Harold goes to an old school reunion, providing the perfect opportunity for Nina to entertain Tommy. Tommy arrives with eagerness and whisky and the evening looks promising, until Harold returns unexpectedly. With no opportunity to escape, Tommy is sent upstairs to hide under the bed. But when Harold notices two uncleared whisky glasses, Nina, in a moment of panic, declares that Madame Lapierre herself has arrived and is presently upstairs changing. Tommy, donning the late mother's wig and dress, is required to take on the role of a lifetime, but the believability of his disguise coupled with the flowing whisky, forces Tommy into a desperate retreat and another persona. Will this be a role too far?

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Tour of Southern French Schools    2004

Organisations:
Quorum Theatre Company

1st Published:
http://www.stagescripts.com   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy one act

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Recognise Me

Synopsis:
Having spent several years now out of the limelight and the public eye, Marcus Pike has a lot to prove. Not only does he want to demonstrate to the music world that he was the creative genius behind his brother's highly successful band - from which he was prematurely ejected due to 'behavioural issues' - but he also wants to show that he still has the charisma, the drive and twelve new, original and bankable songs to put him back at the top. With an imminent local gig for a crowd of three hundred and fifty and a chance to impress a top music manager, Marcus and his band rehearse the songs. But Marcus is feeling the pressure. Struggles with his inner demons threaten to undermine the gig's success and when a replacement band member arrives with an ulterior purpose, Marcus soon finds himself teetering on the edge of the precipice.

Notes:
Originally composed songs Accompany the play.

1st Produced:
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Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  Voiceover male

Further Reference:
-

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Thorn In Midsummer, A

Synopsis:
When a successful businessman invites friends to enjoy his promised inheritance: a sleepy farmhouse in Wiltshire, the appearance of an enigmatic stranger awakens uncomfortable memories. Crop circles, Celtic rituals and Midsummer passions fuel the Drama.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Virtually Just So

Synopsis:
Welcome to Crispin Kipling's Gaming Hall at the Kipling Corporation. a group of disruptive teens are about to experience the very latest gaming sensation. they've been invited to play in the fully-immersive, virtual environment of Just So World. Based on Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories but updated for the cyber-age, the Just So World game has been heralded a miracle. Interacting with the characters, solving the puzzles - simply playing the game - is a panacea to all the ills of adolescence. Youngsters are seen to emerge free of any angst and antisocial tendencies. even the hardest cases are cured. How can this be? a team of journalists has been invited to witness the before and after transformations in our teenagers. We watch as the young people don their VR helmets and enter the world. they move through levels such as How the elephant Got His Trunk and How the Rhino got his Skin. But is everything as it seems? Is this more than a game? and who is the mysterious girl that keeps appearing, searching for something - or someone?

Notes:
written by Philip Aycbourn And Kristina Anne Howell. the show was originally performed by over 150 youngsters Aged between 7 - 19. However, the play can be performed by A cast of Approximately 30 upwards.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Comedy

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  large cast

Further Reference:
-

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