Alan Ayckbourn has written 71 plays and directed over 300. He has 9 honorary degrees and has won numerous awards including the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s lifetime achievement award and in 1974 he held the record for having the most (5) simultaneous plays running in the West End at one time.
A more detailed biography can be found on Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website.
The Crafty Art of Playmaking by Alan Ayckbourn
Written in an almost conversational style, “The Crafty Art of Playmaking” differs from most other “how to” writing books in that it’s writer (Alan Ayckbourn) avoids the usual formulaic clichés associated with the genre. He offers practical advice based entirely on his own personal experiences as a writer and director.
This means that Ayckbourn covers topics and ideas that wouldn’t normally be covered. Discusses his subjects in terms of what he calls, “Obvious Rules”. These include
- Never look down on comedy or regard it as the poor cousin of drama
- At least fifty percent of your play is going to be visual
- Important information should always be conveyed at least twice
All tips and advice use examples from Ayckbourn’s own work. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends upon the reader’s opinion of the author’s work. What it does mean for the reader is “The Crafty Art of Play Making” has a very funny and personal style that makes it an enjoyable as well as informative read even if they are not a fan of the Ayckbourn’s work.
Alan Ayckbourn on Directing
The second half of the book concentrates on Ayckbourn’s theories on directing a play and like the first half it’s divided into “Obvious Rules”. Writers may think that this section will not be relevant to them but much of the content despite being geared towards a director will be of value.
This section is also very humorous as Aykcbourn vents about various members of the technical crew including costume designers who he obviously has some kind of personal vendetta against.
A Good Play-Writing Book?
Alan Ayckbourn’s “The Craft Art of Playmaking” is not really a book about how to write or direct plays. It is more a collection of thoughts and advice that Ayckbourn has decided writer’s might find useful.
Whilst not suitable for the beginner Alan Ayckbourn’s “The Crafty Art of Playmaking” is a worthy addition to any writer’s reference library.
Other articles in Writing for Stage/Screen include An Introduction to Play Writing Books and Writing Your First Play.
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