1,470 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 12, 2023 14:01:10 GMT
The constant companions (or "Konstant Kompanions", according to the on-stage, cardboard, self-assembly box) of Alan Ayckbourn's latest (89th!) play, are androids in human form. The playwright gently teases us about human failings and limitations by contrasting our behaviour with that of the automatons JAN 90 (SJT stalwart Richard Lacey on top form) and ED (Naomi Petersen, who has less to do). There is also an impressive talking animatronic head that I suspect took a significant part of the budget.
The stage is divided into three: a bedroom, an office and an attic, all from different locations, and we are somewhere in the near future, with the office occasionally jumping ahead another twenty years or so. The actors often remain on stage when the action switches to another location, but there isn't the quick cross-cutting or simultaneous action that Ayckbourn sometimes employs.
The play tries to blend trademark humour with serious existential points about identity and being, but fails to fully deliver as comedy or thought-provoking drama. The narrative tales are rather thin too, and I was left wanting and expecting more.
It's amusing enough, but one of Ayckbourn's weaker efforts.
Three stars.
Act 1: 19:31-20:44 Act 2: 21:05-22:02 (Seen Saturday night)
On a side note, and as an Ayckbourn fan, I was disappointed to discover I had somehow managed to completely miss his plays numbered 86 (All Lies) and 88 (Welcome to the Family), as they premiered at The Old Laundry, Bowness-on-Windermere rather than in Scarborough like the rest of his canon. Please someone put them on again!
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Post by bobby on Sept 12, 2023 22:31:43 GMT
Thanks for this review. I am also a big Ayckbourn fan, so interested in your comments.
Sadly we won’t be able to see this but we are going this Sunday to see Truth Will Out. I don’t know what number play this is or would have been?
From the SJT website: A rehearsed reading by professional actors of an Alan Ayckbourn play scheduled for 2020, but which never saw the light of day due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A rare chance to see Alan performing!
Everyone has secrets. Certainly former shop steward George, his right-wing MP daughter Janet, investigative journalist Peggy, and senior civil servant Sefton, do.
And all it’s going to take is one tech-savvy teenager with a mind of his own and time on his hands to bring their worlds tumbling down – and maybe everyone else’s along with them. A storm is brewing…
Truth Will Out is an up-to-the-minute satire on family, relationships, politics and the state of the nation from the pen of one of the greatest modern moralists and our Director Emeritus, Alan Ayckbourn.
This rehearsed reading by professional actors will be the first time anyone's ever heard it read aloud, and Alan himself is playing Jim alongside John Branwell, Christopher Godwin, Frances Marshall and the cast of Constant Companions.
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Post by Jan on Sept 13, 2023 6:49:17 GMT
On a side note, and as an Ayckbourn fan, I was disappointed to discover I had somehow managed to completely miss his plays numbered 86 (All Lies) and 88 (Welcome to the Family), as they premiered at The Old Laundry, Bowness-on-Windermere rather than in Scarborough like the rest of his canon. Please someone put them on again! His website always has an up-to-date list of the current professional productions of his plays: www.alanayckbourn.net/styled/NewsInDepth.htmlSadly for many years the list has been very short, some of his absolutely classic plays haven't been staged for years so I doubt #86 and #88 will ever be staged again.
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540 posts
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Post by drowseychap on Sept 16, 2023 23:17:31 GMT
I would echo the comments above enjoyable but not as strong as the last couple the guy playing Jan 60 makes the play !!! He gets most of the laughs too , ED not so much doesn’t really embody AI as he does I was hoping for a little bit more TBH. Esp towards the end was hoping for some big laughs The first half I wax put off a little by the guy in front constantly texting 💬 and woman next to me whispering to her husband explaining the story I long for another haunting Julia , communicating doors etc I’d agree 3 stars ⭐️
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