It Could Be Any One Of Us: Articles by Alan Ayckbourn

It Could be Any One Of Us (Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round 1983 production programme note)
Not long ago, a contemporary told me a story, (with some glee, I may add), of a conversation he'd had with a young fresh-from-drama-school hopeful who was bemoaning the fact that there was no good comedy material currently being written for the stage. "Well," said my ex-friend, loyally, "There's always Alan Ayckbourn, I suppose." The young actor shook his head impatiently. "I was talking," he said, "about living dramatists."
Tales like that, coupled with the news that shortly one of my plays is to be included as an 'O' Level set text might cause some to think that there is truth in rumours of my demise.
Here, by way of an answer, is my 30th play. Written, as always, in Scarborough and for Scarborough. One of the few things that really angers me is to read that I 'try out' my plays here. On the contrary, I produce them here and subsequently, if I'm lucky, they are tried out elsewhere.
This one's dedicated to all the people who work here - onstage, backstage and front of house. Many of them, I know, share my firm belief that you don't have to be big to be beautiful or solemn to be serious.

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