House & Garden: Two Plays

by Alan Ayckbourn

Two dazzling new interconnected plays from the acclaimed author of Communicating Doors. Two plays -- designed to be performed simultaneously and involving the same characters -- set in the same English country house on the same cloudy August day, are Alan Ayckbourn's vehicle for a sharp and hilarious scrutiny of the destructive nature of human behavior and emotions. Friends, neighbors, and hired help are gathered in preparation for a garden fête at which the guest of honor, for reasons of which no one is entirely certain, is an alcoholic, promiscuous French movie star. The surly gardener steadily ignores various intrigues being rather noisily conducted in the bushes and garden sheds, the film star's agent is mistakenly assumed to be a chauffeur and is sent to the pub for her lunch, the dog does his share of alerting passersby to covert romantic liaisons, the kitchen maid breaks everything she touches, and an amoral London writer observes the goings-on with a cool and knowing eye. As the action, and the storm clouds, build toward the afternoon's deluge, politics, friship, marriage, sex, children, the interactions of the social classes, and the absurd anachronisms of the remaining landed gentry are all submitted to Ayckbourn's penetrating gaze.

Genres: Plays, Drama

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

About the author

Sir Alan Ayckbourn is a popular and prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their first performance. More than 40 have subsequently been produced in the West End, at the Royal National Theatre or by the Royal Shakespeare Company since his first hit Relatively Speaking opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1967. Major successes include Absurd Person Singular (1975), The Norman Conquests trilogy (1973), Bedroom Farce (1975), Just Between Ourselves (1976), A Chorus of Disapproval (1984), Woman in Mind (1985), A Small Family Business (1987), Man Of The Moment (1988), House & Garden (1999) and Private Fears in Public Places (2004). His plays have won numerous awards, including seven London Evening Standard Awards. They have been translated into over 35 languages and are performed on stage and television throughout the world. Ten of his plays have been staged on Broadway, attracting two Tony nominations, and one Tony award.

Reviews

[katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excited to do this one ;)

[Blanche · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant pair of plays, designed around a truly innovative theatre mechanic (the plays are performed in tandem, in the same theatre, with the same casts; actors run back and forth between both). Alan Ayckbourn's writing was delightful, the perfect example of slowly dripping out information and revelations to both characters and audience, showing every event from multiple sides and perspectives. Honestly, I'm now inspired to continue trying my hand at playwriting.

[Ulkem · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect representation of Ayckbourn's genius. One should read the play House first, then Garden. Otherwise, it could be boring to read merely the framework of the events you already get familiar with in Garden.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't need to read this - you need to see it! Only then will the dazzling cleverness of the whole thing strike you. This really must be one of the most uniquely theatrical conceits ever devised. The word genius gets bandied about too frequently - not here though

[Jeanie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

My current directing project! A brilliant device, and Ayckbourn's laugh-out-loud comedy. Filled with humor, heart, and hope...
Come see our productions at the Pear Avenue Theatre in Mountain View, Sept. 12 - Oct. 5, 2014!