Ayckbourn << AYK bawrn >>, Alan (1939-…), is a British playwright known for dark, thought-provoking comedies about middle-class life. The audience laughs at his characters but often realizes that they lead sad and empty lives. In Woman in Mind (1985), for example, a neglected homemaker invents an imaginary family who become more real to her than her own family. Ayckbourn is noted for his intricate plot structures and clever use of stage space. The Norman Conquests (1973) is actually three plays, each about events taking place in different parts of a country home at the same time. In Taking Steps (1979), the same set represents three different places. The plays House and Garden (both 2000) are performed in two separate theaters by the same cast at the same time.
Ayckbourn first gained international recognition with How the Other Half Loves (1969). His other plays include Absurd Person Singular (1972), Absent Friends (1974), Bedroom Farce (1975), Sisterly Feelings (1979), A Small Family Business (1987), Man of the Moment (1988), The Revengers’ Comedies (1989), Communicating Doors (1994), Things We Do for Love (1997), Comic Potential (1999), Private Fears in Public Places (2005), Awaking Beauty (2008), My Wonderful Day (2009), Neighbourhood Watch (2011), Arrivals & Departures (2013), A Brief History of Women (2017), Better Off Dead (2018), All Lies (2022), and Welcome to the Family (2023). From 1972 to 2009, Ayckbourn served as the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where many of his comedies have premiered.
Ayckbourn was born on April 12, 1939, in London. He was knighted in 1997. His book The Crafty Art of Playmaking was published in 2003.
