Sir Alan Ayckbourn,Two Interviews by Stacey Morley..page4

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Two Interviews:Sir Alan Ayckbourn...page4

^{written by:} Stacey Morley

Interview of July 29, 1997:

S.M.- But did you write 'Things We Do For Love' for you particularly or was it more than that?

A.A.- Yes, I wrote that because I wanted to write it. I wanted to write about that particular aspect of love, which seemed to me slightly unexplored. The sort of, not entirely destructive, but the negative impact that a love affair can have. How often things have to be destroyed for it to happen and it interested me that people in love often cried as much as they did - it's supposed to be viewed - lovers, couples and big hearts and I guess you've got to have been round the circuit a couple of times really to appreciate it - the first love affair, hopefully, is all that but then when that, if it does break down, then you begin to see all the other sides of it. I was interested in that - in writing about that. I also - (there are so many things that make you write) but I saw that auditorium. Last year when you built it - it interested me - I don't usually write for that shape, I write for The-Round - all the time - it interested me and then somebody said its an unworkable auditorium so it made me determined to write something for it and indeed its had various productions that has proved that wrong. There were some very good ones last year but I wanted to do it and I also had this idea of edited views, what's happening in the procedure, I mean the sort of fun side and allow, actually people find its quite funny, but actually to me it was quite a serious point about love really that I was trying to make in the middle of it all. But it, obviously it carries with it comedy - and each play really presents itself - each one have different reasons for writing - sometimes you say - oh this will be fun - and they are the most difficult - you have to weigh them down. Sometimes the reverse happens. You have quite a serious thing to say and then its a matter of exploring it to give it light as well as dark.

S.M.- Do you think that your success has changed your writing at all?

A.A.- I don't know if success has. I suppose to a certain extent, I think the writings changed quite considerably. Its probably not quite so perceptible if you see one play to the next because the change is very gentle but if you go from, 'How The Other Half Loves' to 'Things We Do For Love' I think there is a tremendous journey being made here and that is just growing up. I'm hopefully getting better at what they do. Also of course, the more you write the greater the expectation - people have seen half a dozen of them and really enjoyed them and then they arrive saying, "I'm really looking forward to this and one does have a sense of not wanting to disappoint them and at the same time wanting to do your own thing and I suppose this has caused me to always be aware of the two elements all the time, not that I ever wanted to, but it would be awful to have people coming, having expected from me a really jolly time, to be hit with something absolutely searing - you know, and dreadful, lots of blood and death all over the place. They might be seriously disappointed and I've always thought, well I've got to say something different to them, something new and indeed to explore new areas, without them leaving the theatre. And I think we've been round some very strange journeys together (me and my wishes) over the years. Things like 'Way Up Stream' which is quite a violent play.

S.M.- Yes, I was reading recently 'The Revengers Comedies'.

A.A.- Oh yes that's quite fun.

S.M.- That is quite a violent play.

A.A.- Yes, a lot of deaths in that!

S.M.- Yes and in the sense of its message I just thought to myself it's very, very different from "Things We Do For Love" really.

A.A.- Oh sure. I had a sort of political time which hasn't already gone, but you, no you go through a phase of small family business such as 'Chorus of Disapproval', 'Way Up Stream'. They were all sort of, well, they sound like state of the nation plays but they were about bigger things. 'Man Of The Moment' was about the media, 'Small Family Business' was about, I suppose, honesty, really.

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