Time Of My Life
The May play will be “Time of My Life” by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by Malcolm Barker.
*Warning – contains adult language*
Synopsis
Gerry Stratton has organized a family dinner with his sons Glyn and Adam at his favourite restaurant to celebrate his wife Laura’s birthday. Glyn is with his long suffering wife Stephanie; their marriage looks to be on firmer ground that it once was. Adam has brought along his new girlfriend, an outrageous hairdresser, and they are both eager to impress. Gradually, family skeletons intrude on the happy domestic scene: Glyn’s unfaithfulness knows no bounds, the family transport business has been hit by the recession, and Laura has been unfaithful. Glyn’s story is set more recently and Adam’s further back in time, while at the centre Gerry and Laura pick apart their marriage and recall first love.
Reviews
“A play by an inspired master craftsman and cunning psychologist working at full stretch: harsh and funny, simple and cunning, generous but unforgiving.”
London Sunday Times
“Funny, very funny, and not at all funny; quintessentially Ayckbourn.”
London Times
“Immensely subtle, ingenious.”
Guardian
Notes from the Director’s chair
I am back at Kingsley after a spell directing at Harlequins Theatre in Northwich, and I am privileged to direct Time of My Life by Sir Alan Ayckbourn. Even more pleased as there is a small part in it for myself. I am inviting you to come along and bring some friends, either to our standard auditorium setting on Wednesday or Thursday or why not treat yourself to one on our dinner and dine shows on the Friday and Saturday, served at your table in the auditorium before the play.
All of the Ayckbourn plays we have performed have been very popular, the last being one of his ‘time’ play Communicating Doors, and I hope you will enjoy this one as much (or perhaps more).
Time of My Life is in my view one of his very best and is an inventive piece of theatre. It’s an odd, wonderful and funny show with a lot of heart and some very serious moments, and like all of his great plays, it makes you think, feel and then makes you laugh, all in the same scene, often in the same moment. It’s another ‘time’ play and although it takes place in the present day, soon you will see that some of the characters are in the future while others are in the past. All this happens on the same set. It’s a wonderful stunt and it works beautifully theatrically and it creates a real excitement before you. The setting is a restaurant and we will perform this in the round so you will be in the restaurant with the players and can share the moments as they emerge.
I really hope you will accept this invitation and I look forward to seeing you there. Best Regards
Malcolm Barker
