Ask The Archivist: Most Prolific London Actor

Ask The Archivist is a regular feature allowing you to put your Alan Ayckbourn related questions to the playwright's archivist Simon Murgatroyd.
If you have a question regarding any aspect of Alan's work, email it to: ayckbourn@gmail.com (labelled Ask The Archivist) and we'll publish any interesting questions.

Question: Who is the most prolific actor in West End productions of Alan Ayckbourn's plays?

Answer: Michael Gambon. The award-winning and acclaimed actor is easily the most prolific performer of Alan Ayckbourn's plays in London having appeared in eight plays.

His first West End Ayckbourn experience was the enormously successful The Norman Conquests trilogy (Table Manners, Living Together, Round And Round The Garden), which initially opened at Greenwich Theatre in 1974 before transferring to the Globe Theatre.

In 1977, he played the role of Neil in the London premiere of Just Between Ourselves before appearing at the National Theatre as Patrick in Sisterly Feelings in 1980.

In 1985, he played Dafydd ap Llewellyn in A Chorus Of Disapproval at the National Theatre, which won him the Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance.

In 1987, having joined Alan Ayckbourn's company at the National Theatre the previous year, he appeared in the world premiere production of A Small Family Business as Jack McCracken.

Finally - as of 2012 - in 1990 he won his second Olivier Award in an Ayckbourn play (as well as a Critics Circle Award) when he played Douglas Beechey in Man Of The Moment at the Globe Theatre.

Gambon was also directed by Alan in two other plays whilst at the National Theatre, appearing in Will Evans & Valentine's Tons Of Money and Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge, for which he won a third Olivier Award under Alan's direction.

As a final note, the actor also appeared in a repertory season at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, in 1990 appearing in Alan Ayckbourn's productions of Taking Steps and Othello.

To submit your question to Ask The Archivist, email Simon Murgatroyd at: ayckbourn@gmail.com labelled Ask The Archivist.