Alan Ayckbourn (Photo by John Haynes)
Alan Ayckbourn is probably our most prolific and successful contemporary playwright whose work is seen throughout the world. Nearly all his plays have their first production in the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, Yorkshire, where Ayckbourn is the artistic director.

Aphra Behn
Probably the first woman to make her living by her pen, Aphra Behn is probably best remembered for her comedies, particularly THE ROVER. However, the political and sexual issues she raises are serious ones about the place of women in Restoration society and sexual equality and freedom.

David Belasco
David Belasco was probably as comprehensive a theatre practitioner as could be – actor, stage manager, pioneer of stage lighting, director, playwright, manager – Belasco did them all. He also discovered Mary Pickford. Unfortunately we do not know the name of the other gentleman in the picture, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Maxim Gorky
Perhaps not one of Russia’s greatest playwrights, Maxim Gorky’s plays tend to deal more with social and political issues than the humane and more philosophical lives of Chekhov’s characters. Best known for THE LOWER DEPTHS, several of his other plays were given a fresh life in the 1970’s by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen is undoubtedly one of the most influential playwrights of any period. His explorations of the parochialism and corruption of small town life and society, his revelations of the psychology of his characters and his sense of theatrical architecture have all been profound influences on those who followed.

Victorien Sardou
Victorien Sardou and his mentor, Eugene Scribe, were the prime exponents of ‘the well made play’ which provoked the theatrical reaction which resulted in the plays of Ibsen, Shaw and many others. Apart from DIVORCONS (LET’S GET A DIVORCE), most of Sardou’s plays are forgotten or perhaps beyond our present resources; ROBESPIERRE at the Lyceum had 69 speaking parts and over 250 supernumeraries!

Oscar Wilde
Of the many Irish writers who have made such a great contribution to the English speaking theatre, it would be difficult to deny Oscar Wilde pre-eminence. His wit, love and mastery of language and sense of form found their apotheosis, of course in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.

Israel Zangwill
An almost forgotten name, Israel Zangwill could rightly claim to be a cockney born within the sound of Bow Bells. His novels laid open the secluded life of the Jewish communities hidden in the poorer quarters of the European capitals. His earlier plays such as THE MELTING POT tackled vast themes, whilst his later ones such as WE MODERNS dealt with lighter themes in a satiric spirit.