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Absurd Person SingularAn Absurd Synopsis Absurd Person Singular was first
presented in June 1972 at the Library Theatre, Scarborough and then as a
memorable TV Christmas production with Nicky Henson, Maureen Lippman,
Geoffrey Palmer, Prunella Scales, Michael Gambon and Cheryl Campbell. A
typically sharp Ayckbourn comedy, it deals with the singularly absurd
personal stresses and traumas that always seem to emerge around Christmas
and traces the contrasting fortunes of three couples at Christmas drinks
parties over three successive Christmases. Our production is set somewhere
in Middle England in the 1980s. In Act I, we see the up-and-coming
Sydney Hopcroft and his ever faithful, ever polishing wife, Jane, in their
brightly polished new home with its brightly polished new kitchen. They
are nervously entertaining their bank manager (Ronald Brewster-Wright),
and his patronising, well-groomed wife (Marion). Also invited are the
Jacksons: Geoff (a fairly successful architect and even more successful
Romeo) and his understandably neurotic wife, Eva. Act II is set in the Jacksons’
chaotic apartment one year later, where the three couples meet again for
pre-Christmas drinks. Against the background of the rapidly disintegrating
Jackson marriage, Geoff does his best to start the party off, whilst Eva
does her best to end it (all). By the third Christmas (Act III),
the Hopcrofts have definitely come up in the world, which is more than can
be said for Geoff’s buildings. In the frayed elegance of Ronnie and
Marion’s large Victorian house, the slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune bring the play to a startling conclusion, with everyone
- literally - dancing to the Hopcrofts’ tune. There will be
two intervals of 10 minutes between Acts. Our special thanks also go to: The Shetland Shop, The Painswick Post Office and Londis for handling ticket sales: |
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