If you have a question regarding any aspect of Alan's work, email it to: admin@alanayckbourn.net (labelled Ask The Archivist) and we'll publish any interesting questions.
Question: In yesterday's This Week, you mentioned the 1969 television adaptation of Alan Ayckbourn's play Relatively Speaking, what is this and can I see it?
Answer: 45 years ago, Relatively Speaking became the first Ayckbourn play to be adapted for television.
Very little is known about the broadcast as the only clue to its existence is a single report from the Radio Times held in the Ayckbourn Archive at the University of York and an entry in the British Film Institute's television database, which holds very few details.
It was shown in the BBC's Play Of The Month slot and directed by Herbert Wise, who would go on to direct the far better known and successful television adaptation of The Norman Conquests, which was broadcast in 1977.
Relatively Speaking featured Celia Johnson as Sheila - reprising her West End role - with Donald Sinden as Philip; Sinden had recently been responsible for directing the post-West End tour of Relatively Speaking, which launched in 1968.
The roles of Ginny and Greg were played by Judy Cornwell - also reprising her West End debut - and John Stride. It was produced by Cedric Messina and the script attributed to Alan Ayckbourn.
However, although credited with the screenplay, he was not involved in the production which reduced the running time to an astonishing 50 minutes, less than half of its stage running time. Given Alan's trenchant views about how plays should not be cut for television and radio, one can't imagine he was very impressed by adaptation.
Unfortunately, we'll probably never know just how extensive the cuts were or the quality of the piece - although Alan recalls his agent Margaret 'Peggy' Ramsay was unimpressed - as the 1969 adaptation of Relatively Speaking is not believed to have survived in any form. Neither the BBC nor the BFI hold a copy in archive and as it precedes the advent of video recordings, it seems highly unlikely - although not impossible - that an undiscovered copy exists somewhere.
The BBC would later adapt Relatively Speaking again, broadcasting it in on Christmas Eve 1984 with Nigel Hawthorne as Philip, Gwen Watford as Sheila, Imogen Stubbs as Ginny and Michael Maloney Greg.
However, a true piece of Ayckbourn history is in all probability long lost and we will never have the chance to see the first attempt to film an Ayckbourn play with Relatively Speaking.
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