Bedroom Farce: A Timeline

The Timeline offers a chronological view of significant events in the history of the play Bedroom Farce it only lists major productions and does not include the vast majority of the many professional and amateur productions of the play.

January 1974
Peter Hall, Artistic Director of the National Theatre, approaches Alan Ayckbourn about writing a play for the soon to be opened National Theatre venue in London.

30 June 1974
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Alan Ayckbourn announces he has been commissioned to write a play for the National Theatre which will be called Bedroom Farce, A Comedy (later amended to just Bedroom Farce).

21 May 1975
Alan Ayckbourn begins writing Bedroom Farce. Despite being commissioned for the National Theatre, the play will premiere at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough.

24 May 1975
Alan Ayckbourn finishes writing Bedroom Farce, coincidentally on the day his and and Andrew Lloyd-Webber's flop musical Jeeves closes at Her Majesty's Theatre, London, after a month-long run.

16 June 1975
World premiere of Bedroom Farce at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, directed by Alan Ayckbourn.

1 March 1977
The National Theatre production of Bedroom Farce premieres at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, directed by Alan Ayckbourn and Peter Hall.

16 March 1977
London premiere of Bedroom Farce at the Lyttelton, National Theatre, directed by Alan Ayckbourn and Peter Hall.

19 September 1977
The National Theatre production of Bedroom Farce tours to Bristol Hippodrome.

29 September 1977
The first professional regional repertory production of Bedroom Farce opens at the Nottingham Playhouse.

1977
Chatto & Windus publishes Bedroom Farce in the collection Three Plays.

17 August 1978
Bedroom Farce closes at the National Theatre, London, in preparation for a West End transfer.

7 November 1978
The National Theatre production of Bedroom Farce transfers to the Prince Of Wales Theatre, London.

1978
Samuel French Ltd publishes the acting edition of
Bedroom Farce.

1 January 1979
Bedroom Farce officially released for production by repertory theatres.

January 1979
The first repertory tour of
Bedroom Farce is staged by Oxford Playhouse.

22 January 1979
The National Theatre production of Bedroom Farce begins a Canadian / American tour in Toronto.

29 March 1979
The National Theatre production of Bedroom Farce opens on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York, directed by Alan Ayckbourn and Peter Hall.

29 September 1979
Bedroom Farce closes at the Prince Of Wales Theatre, London.

28 September 1980
ITV broadcasts the National Theatre’s production of Bedroom Farce, adapted and directed for television by Christopher Morahan.

1982
Alan Ayckbourn is approached about a television spin-off to Bedroom Farce entitled Ernest & Delia. A pilot script is written by Peter Tinniswood, but the series is dropped before filming begins.

13 July 1983
The television version of Bedroom Farce is repeated on British television for the first time by Channel 4.

1998
The British Film Institute screens Bedroom Farce at the National Film Theatre during the Popular Television Of The ‘70s And ‘80s Film Festival.

21 September 2000
Bedroom Farce is revived in The Round at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, directed by Alan Ayckbourn.

19 December 2000
Bedroom Farce is redirected by Alan Ayckbourn for the end-stage The McCarthy at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.

16 December 2001
The Stephen Joseph Theatre production of Bedroom Farce, directed by Alan Ayckbourn, begins a UK tour at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford.

26 March 2002
A West End revival of Bedroom Farce, directed by Loveday Ingram, opens at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, before transferring to London's West End.

8 April 2002
Bedroom Farce opens at the Aldwych Theatre, London, directed by Loveday Ingram.

29 June 2002
Bedroom Farce closes at the Aldwych Theatre, London.

2003
Disappointment with the quality of Loveday Ingram's production of Bedroom Farce alongside the treatment of his own London production of Damsels In Distress leads Alan Ayckbourn to announce a hiatus from the West End.

2007
A tour of
Bedroom Farce, directed by Robin Herford, becomes the first major UK tour since 2003 of an Ayckbourn play not directed by the playwright himself.

1 October 2009
Bedroom Farce opens at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, directed by Sir Peter Hall.

24 March 2010
Bedroom Farce opens at the Duke Of York's Theatre, London, directed by Sir Peter Hall.

10 July 2010
Bedroom Farce closes at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, before embarking on a national tour with a new cast.

2 November 2013
As part of the National Theatre's 50th anniversary celebrations, a scene from Bedroom Farce is performed in the 50 Years On Stage event.

31 December 2022 / 1 January 2023
BBC Radio 4 broadcasts a two-part adaptation of Bedroom Farce, directed by Martin Jarvis.

Article by Simon Murgatroyd. Copyright: Haydonning Ltd. Please do not reproduce without permission of the copyright holder.