Reviews:Alan Ayckbourn:Ayckbourn happy in the middle of the road

From: Evening News - Scotland | Date: August 12, 2003| Author: | Copyright information

Alan Ayckbourn, Edinburgh Book Festival, Main Theatre ****

ALAN AYCKBOURN'S plays were once described as the "appalled recognition of the middle classes".

Yesterday's Book Festival found Sir Alan warming to this theme, while making no attempt to deny his allegiance to that same class.

"I like the way they try to organise chaos," he told the sell-out crowd, attempting to explain the thinking behind some of his 64 plays.

"I try to write people that members of the audience are related to or know very well."

He denied this was crude populism, or anti-intellectual, just very audience-friendly. ...

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