Improbable Fiction

The play tells the story of the Pendon Writer’s Circle who meet to discuss their latest ideas.

The story follows the group of aspiring writers meeting the week before Christmas to discuss their work - none of which is going to win a Booker Prize in the coming years!

To try and inspire his colleagues, the chairman Arnold suggests they collaborate on a joint piece, an idea which is very quickly dismissed. However, when the group disbands that night, a storm begins to whirl around Pendon, and fiction becomes reality when Arnold’s idea jumps to life, colliding the worlds of these very different writers in the most chaotic and incredible way, showing just what can happen when you let your imagination run wild!

One of the major influences of the play was Ayckbourn’s own experiences with a writing group for whom he had given a talk, during which it became increasingly clear that it was much more of a social gathering than anything else! It is one of the most performed plays written by Ayckbourn since 2000, and is his 69th play.