Alan Ayckbourn’s classic comedy of manners is on tour this summer. Michael Cabot, Artistic Director of London Classic Theatre, gives us some insights into the production.
How does it feel to finally be able to bring Absurd Person Singular to the stage again?
Tremendously exciting! It’s been such a turbulent fifteen months since we were last on tour with the show, so to finally be in front of an audience will be fantastic. All of the original company have come back to reprise their roles and it’s been quite emotional seeing the team back together again.
What is it about Absurd Person Singular that makes it such a lasting play, in your opinion?
Great writing is timeless and Alan Ayckbourn is such a unique playwright. The play comes from the early seventies, so it’s almost fifty years since it was first produced, but the themes and characters are still incredibly fresh for an audience today. It’s about class and social mobility, making the right impression and keeping up appearances. Yet, in true Ayckbourn style, Alan isn’t afraid to take the action into some fairly dark places. He twists the knife again and again, exposing the characters’ vanity and their weaknesses, so it can be both excruciating and excruciatingly funny.
What are you most looking forward to about going out on tour again?
Without question, being in front of an audience. The buzz of a crowd just before the lights go down and the first ripple of laughter across the theatre. People have missed that experience over the last fifteen months and we are so excited about sharing this play with audiences all over the country.
What do you hope audiences will get from watching the play?
It’s a brilliant character study as much as anything else. Superficially, it’s a play about an ambitious tradesman who tries to impress his bank manager and a local architect. He holds them in very high esteem, puts them on a pedestal really, so it’s fascinating to watch as the months pass and roles are reversed. We see that the higher status characters aren’t quite so impressive as we first thought. Watching everything unravel, in true farcical fashion, is very funny.
How does it feel to be back in the rehearsal room and getting the cast and crew back together again?
It’s like a big family reunion! Most of the cast have worked for us before, so there’s a very comfortable atmosphere in the room. Seeing the play come together again has been fascinating. We didn’t know how easy it would be recreate the show after such a long time away, but everyone has worked really hard and it feels like everything has slotted into place remarkably quickly. There are some new things happening as well, which is exciting.
Why should audiences come to see Absurd Person Singular?
It’s a great night out. Classic Alan Ayckbourn. Classic British comedy of embarrassment. It treads a beautiful line between comedy and tragedy, and there is no better playwright to exploit this to its full potential. Ayckbourn is our finest living playwright, a genuine national treasure, so what better excuse to return to the theatre do you need?
