Bedroom Farce: Significant Productions

This page contains details of significant productions of Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce, such as the world and London premieres as well as Ayckbourn-directed revivals. It is not a complete list of productions given how frequently it has been performed by professionals and amateur companies around the world.

World Premiere (1975)

First performance: 16 June 1975
World premiere: 16 June 1975
Final performance: 13 September 1975
Venue: Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough
Staging: Three-sided

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Helga Wood

Stage Manager: David Millard
Deputy Stage Manager: Kevin Wood
Assistant Stage Manager: Susan Legge

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Stanley Page
Heather Stoney
Stephen Mallatratt
Janet Dale
Bob Eaton
Eileen O’Brien
Christopher Godwin
Polly Warren

London Premiere (1977)

First performance: 1 March 1977
Venue: Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
London premiere: 16 March 1977
Venue: The Lyttelton, National Theatre, London
Final performance: 17 August 1978
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Ayckbourn & Peter Hall *
Design: Timothy O’Brien & Tazeena Firth
Lighting: Peter Radmore

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Michael Gough
Joan Hickson
Michael Kitchen
Polly Adams
Derek Newark
Susan Littler
Stephen Moore
Maria Aitken

Notes: Although Peter Hall is credited as co-director, after initially blocking the piece, he actually left Alan to direct the piece.
During the course of the National Theatre's run, there were several cast changes. These included Michael Stroud (Nick), Janet Key (Jan), Brenda Blethyn (Kate), Delia Lindsay (Susannah) and Sara Kestelman (Susannah).

London Transfer (1978)

First performance: 6 November 1978
Premiere: 7 November 1978
Final performance: 29 September 1979
Venue: The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Timothy O’Brien & Tazeena Firth
Lighting: Peter Radmore

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Michael Aldridge
Joan Hickson
Michael Stroud
Cheryl Campbell
Derek Newark
Susan Littler
Stephen Moore
Delia Lindsay

Notes: The company of Bedroom Farce in the West End seems to be particularly fluid with at least three significant cast changes (dates of which are not known) and a number of minor changes. The original cast for the transfer is noted above with the two most significant company alterations below. It should also be noted Alan Ayckbourn did not direct any of the cast changes following the initial transfer, although he is credited as the director in the programmes.

London Transfer recast (1978)

Recast: Circa January 1979
Final performance: 29 September 1979
Venue: The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Timothy O’Brien & Tazeena Firth
Lighting: Peter Radmore

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Michael Aldridge
Dulcie Gray
Jim Norton
Deborah Grant
George Innes
Paula Wilcox
Timothy Davies
Patricia Quinn

London Transfer Recast (1979)

Recast: Circa July 1979
Final performance: 29 September 1979
Venue: The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Timothy O’Brien & Tazeena Firth
Lighting: Peter Radmore

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Michael Denison
Dulcie Gray
Ian Price
Carol Frazer
Geoffrey Leesley
Pamela Moiseiwitsch
Timothy Davies
Marilyn Taylerson

Tour (1979)

First performance: TBC January 1979
Venue: Oxford Playhouse
Staging: End-stage

Director: Richard Wilson
Design: Sue Plummer
Lighting: David Colmer
Costumes: Lindy Hemming

Producer: Anvil Productions

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
John Bott
Joan Newell
Neil Dickson
Amanda Boxer
Anthony Milner
Janis Winters
John Alkin
Meg Davies

Note: This was the first tour of Bedroom Farce in the UK.

New York Premiere (1979)

Premiere: 29 March 1979
Final performance: 24 November 1979
Performances: 276
Venue: Brooks Atkinson Theatre

Director: Alan Ayckbourn / Peter Hall
Design: Timothy O'Brien / Tazeena Firth
Lighting: Peter Radmore

Character
Jan
Ernest
Delia
Susannah
Kate
Trevor
Malcolm
Nick

Actor
Polly Adams
Michael Gough
Joan Hickson
Delia Lindsay
Susan Littler
Stephen Moore
Derek Newark
Michael Stroud

New York Recast (1979)

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Robert Coote
Mildred Natwick
John Horton
Lynn Milgrim
David Schramm
Judith Ivey
John Lithgow
Alma Cuervo

Revival (2000)

First performance: 21 September 2000
Premiere: 26 September 2000
Final performance: 11 November 2000
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Staging: Round

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Pip Leckenby
Lighting: Kath Geraghty
Music: John Pattison

Stage Manager: Dawn Erica Dyson
Deputy Stage Manager: Annabel Bolton
Assistant Stage Manager: Charlotte Hall

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Geoffrey Whitehead
Joanna Van Gyseghem
Paul Raffield
Sherry Baines
Peter Temple
Katy Secombe
Michael Shaw
Diana Morrison

Note: This production is unique for the Stephen Joseph Theatre as it was originally produced in The Round, before being re-directed with the same company for the end-stage The McCarthy in the venue prior to a UK end-stage tour. The McCarthy production opened on 19 December and closed on 12 January 2001 before going on tour.

London Revival (2002)

Premiere: 8 April 2002
Final performance: 29 June 2002
Venue: Aldwych Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Loveday Ingram
Design: Lez Brotherston
Lighting: Paul Pyant

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Richard Briers
June Whitfield
Nigel Lindsay
Samantha Spiro
Jasper Britton
Suzy Aitchison
Jason Watkins
Rose Keegan

London Revival (2009)

Premiere: 1 October 2009
Final performance: 28 November 2009
Venue: Rose Theatre, Kingston
Staging: End-stage

Director: Peter Hall
Design: Simon Higlett
Lighting: Peter Mumford
Costumes: Mark Bouman

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
Nicholas le Provost
Jane Asher
Tony Gardner
Lucy Briers
Daniel Betts
Finty Williams
Orlando Seale
Rachel Pickup

London Transfer (2010)

First performance: 24 March 2010
Premiere: 30 March 2010
Final performance: 19 June 2010
Venue: Duke Of York's Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Peter Hall
Design: Simon Higlett
Lighting: Peter Mumford
Costumes: Mark Bouman & Mia Flodquist

Character
Ernest
Delia
Nick
Jan
Malcolm
Kate
Trevor
Susannah

Actor
David Horovitch
Jenny Seagrove
Tony Gardner
Sara Crowe
Daniel Bretts
Finty Williams
Orlando Seale
Rachel Pickup

All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.