Absurd Person Singular

It was precisely this balance between light and dark, comedy and pathos in Ayckbourn's writing that attracted Claire Howard to direct Absurd Person Singular. It is Ayckbourn's most commercially successful play, having been presented three times in the West End and twice on Broadway, and it has proved its timeless appeal by the fact that these productions spanned four decades, between 1973 and 2007.

Claire saw the Minerva Theatre Production at Chichester in 2012, (in the play's fifth decade), directed by the author and using his Scarborough-based theatre company. It was, as the Telegraph critic asserts, 'agonisingly funny'.

The plot is almost impossible to summarise but is very intricate and clever, a hallmark of this playwright's work - but 'three' is the number! Set in three Acts, across three successive Christmases, with three couples and set in three kitchens; each couple hosting one of these seasonal gatherings in their own kitchen. The final Act is positively Pinter-esque as the comedy darkens.

If you've seen it before, you'll want to come again. If you haven't, then the Cotswold Players will be delighted to introduce you to this great play.