Show & Tell: In Brief
Show & Tell
Play Number: 90World Premiere: 10 September 2024
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Premiere Staging: In-the-round
Published: No
Other Media: No
Cast: 3m / 25
Run Time: 2hr 10m
Synopsis: Jack’s planning a big party for his wife’s birthday and has booked a theatre company to perform in the family home. But Jack’s getting a bit forgetful in his old age and can’t remember all the details. Meanwhile, The Homelight Theatre Company is on its knees and Jack’s booking is very well paid. Pinning him down on the details has been tricky and something doesn’t feel quite right.
Note: Alan Ayckbourn's 90th play celebrating his 65th anniversary as a playwright.
- Show & Tell is Alan Ayckbourn's 90th play.
- The world premiere - directed by Alan Ayckbourn - was held at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, on 10 September 2024.
- The play also marked the 65th anniversary of Alan Ayckbourn's professional debut as a director with The Square Cat in 1959.
- Alan describes the play as a celebration of theatre and his life in theatre and the play, at times, draws directly from his own early experiences worthing with the Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre company.
- Show & Tell is a rare example of an Ayckbourn work which features a play within a play. The most famous other example is A Chorus of Disapproval where extracts from John Gay's The Beggar's Opera are performed during the course of the play.