Neighbourhood Watch By Alan Ayckbourn

Neighbourhood Watch is Alan Ayckbourn's 75th play and was commissioned by the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, in 2010.

Christian Brother and Sister, Martin and Hilda, have recently moved into their new home on the Bluebell Hill Development and have arranged a housewarming party for the residents. Martin Massie opens the play as a mild mannered, middle aged, harmless chap who has a habit of boring people with pointless stories about garden shrubbery. His prized possession is a garden gnome, which he has named.
Whilst looking out of the window at his gnome and Hilda’s statue of Jesus in the garden, Martin sees a young boy he assumes to be trespassing.

The neighbours arrive: former security guard Ron, the estate gossip Dorothy, unemployed engineer Gareth and music teacher Magda. A decision is made to set up a Neighbourhood Watch group. When the group decide to go ahead without the involvement of any police officers, the previously quiet inhabitants of Bluebell Hill become vigilant and the play takes a darker turn.

One character, Rod, suggests putting a ten foot high fence between the garden and the housing estate, saying, 'They'll be walking in and out of here all day long otherwise, riff raff and vermin'.

What starts out as a well intentioned neighbourhood watch scheme soon develops into something altogether more sinister.