Sir Alan Ayckbourn surprised the new cast of his classic play, Round and Round the Garden, with a heartfelt personal letter ahead of their first performance.
The actors, who start a four-night run of the show from today (June 14) at the Bob Hope Theatre in Eltham, were stunned to get the stamp of approval from the legendary playwright who has not been involved with the new production.
In the note, Sir Alan, 84, expressed his delight with the play’s return to the Greenwich borough.
He wrote: “I’m so delighted to hear that Norman and the gang are returning after all these years to Greenwich where I have so many happy memories of seeing them all those years ago.
“I wish you every success with your production, and I will be toasting you all on your first night with dandelion wine! Love and best wishes, Alan Ayckbourn."
The shows will mark the 50th anniversary of the first London production of the play.
“We are honoured to celebrate the 50th anniversary,” said a spokesperson for the production. “It was wonderful that Sir Alan took the time to write to us personally.”
Sir Ayckbourn is known for his significant contributions to contemporary theatre. Round and Round The Garden is a part of the writer’s celebrated trilogy known as the Norman Conquests, which he wrote in 1973.
The comedy centres around Annie, a single and frustrated woman whose life is dedicated to taking care of her demanding mother. She decides that she needs a weekend away from it all and enlists her brother Reg and his wife Sarah to mind her mother while she’s away.
The twist is that Annie is secretly planning to meet up with her sister Ruth’s charming husband Norman for an affair. However, their careful planning starts to go wrong when Norman shows up at the house rather than at the agreed lovers-hideaway and mayhem ensues.
“Audiences can expect an evening filled with uproarious laughter and poignant moments that resonate with the universal truths of human interaction,” says director Paul Marshall.
“By setting the production as a nostalgic period piece in 1973, we aim to transport the audience back in time and evoke the spirit of the original production.”
Round and Round the Garden will run at the Bob Hope Theatre, Eltham from Wednesday to Saturday, June 14 to June 17
