Absurd Person Singular

The Armidale Playhouse - June 2001

Directed by Benjamin Thorn
Produced by Astrid Blake

By Alan Ayckbourn

SCENES

Act 1 - Last Christmas at Sidney and Jane's house
Act 2 - This Christmas at Geoffrey and Eva's flat
Act 3 - Next Christmas at Ronald and Marion's house

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

When I first saw it in the 1970s Absurd Person Singular was a very funny play. It still is, and I think that one of the reasons that it will continue to be so is Ayckbourn's unerring ability to find totally believable character flaws in the people he portrays.

Each character has a blend of vanity, hypocrisy and ambition, but also compassion and pathos, with the balance between these shifting as outside events impinge on their lives. It is these murky depths that give the play its zing.

In this production I've had a wonderful time working with a fantastic cast. They've all worked hard and had good ideas which have been incorporated into the production. My biggest problem was getting the three men to think with their penises to get the requisite level of sleaze at certain points: they were just too nice!

CAST

Jane: Kate Bookallil
Sidney: Martin Mantle
Ronald: Brendan Pascoe
Marion: Betty Hall
Eva: Bette Guy
Geoffrey: David Young

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director: Benjamin Thorn
Stage Manager: Kristin Adair
Producer: Astrid Blake
Set Design: Lenore Crocker
Lighting Design: Benjamin Thorn
Poster Design: Waine Crafton
Lighting/Sound Operation: Kristy Ford, Jillian Locke
Set Construction/Painting: Colin Barry, Laszlo Szabo, Benjamin Thorn, Alan Guy, Betty Hall, Brendan Pascoe, Martin Mantle, Kristy Ford
Stage Crew: Colin Barry, Kristy Ford, Jillian Locke
Front of House: Catherine Fenning, Pat Lightfoot

THANKS

Gordon Cope, Nadia Ozanne, Sparkes Retravision