Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist
I've been Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist since 2003 and I'm responsible for maintaining and researching the Ayckbourn Archive as well as running Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website and the A Round Town website. These are the constants of an ever-varied role.
The Ayckbourn Archive consists of a physical Archive - the majority of which is held in the Borthwick Institute for Archives at York - and a digital archive. The physical archive consists of tens of thousands of press cuttings, manuscripts, notes by the playwright, programmes, books and other ephemera collated since 1959. The Borthwick Institute is responsible for everything from 1959 to 2019 and I maintain an archive in Scarborough for everything post 2019, which will eventually be assimilated into the main collection.
The digital archive is based in Scarborough and covers the entirety of Alan Ayckbourn's theatrical career and includes more than 75,000 items related to Alan Ayckbourn. This is primarily what my research relates to and where I can answer all the Ayckbourn enquiries I receive.
The Ayckbourn Archive consists of a physical Archive - the majority of which is held in the Borthwick Institute for Archives at York - and a digital archive. The physical archive consists of tens of thousands of press cuttings, manuscripts, notes by the playwright, programmes, books and other ephemera collated since 1959. The Borthwick Institute is responsible for everything from 1959 to 2019 and I maintain an archive in Scarborough for everything post 2019, which will eventually be assimilated into the main collection.
The digital archive is based in Scarborough and covers the entirety of Alan Ayckbourn's theatrical career and includes more than 75,000 items related to Alan Ayckbourn. This is primarily what my research relates to and where I can answer all the Ayckbourn enquiries I receive.
Notable events in my work I'm proud of are my discovery of Alan Ayckbourn's lost, thought destroyed, second play - Love After All - in conjunction with the British Library in 2007; the discovery of Alan Ayckbourn's original unfinished draft of Absurd Person Singular in conjunction with the Borthwick Institute for Archives in 2022; being responsible for The Ayckbourn Collection becoming part of the Scarborough Museums and Galleries collections in 2023; curating, re-housing and cataloguing The Library Theatre / Stephen Joseph Collection for Scarborough Library from 2025.
This is one of the most important aspects of my role as Archivist: making it as easy as possible for people to learn more about Alan Ayckbourn and his work. I do this in person, through email and through my websites with Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website and A Round Town: Theatre in the Round in Scarborough.
Over the years, this role has brought me into contact with people and organisations across the world and I've had the privilege of working closely with Alan Ayckbourn's home theatre, the Stephen Joseph Theatre, as well as the BBC, the National Theatre and The Old Vic amongst others.
I've been responsible both for organising and administering major events relating to Alan Ayckbourn as well as acting as a consultant on other events and curating Ayckbourn-related exhibitions.
A Resource For Research
One of the joys of being an Archivist is constant contact with people interested in learning more about Alan Ayckbourn - from students to researchers, journalists to fans. As Alan's Archivist, I'm the primary contact to answer questions about Alan and his plays.This is one of the most important aspects of my role as Archivist: making it as easy as possible for people to learn more about Alan Ayckbourn and his work. I do this in person, through email and through my websites with Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website and A Round Town: Theatre in the Round in Scarborough.
Over the years, this role has brought me into contact with people and organisations across the world and I've had the privilege of working closely with Alan Ayckbourn's home theatre, the Stephen Joseph Theatre, as well as the BBC, the National Theatre and The Old Vic amongst others.
And all the rest!
On top of this, my job as Archivist constantly throws up new challenges and experiences. I give public talks and have curated theatre exhibitions and have also facilitated and catalogued Alan Ayckbourn and theatre in the round collections.I've been responsible both for organising and administering major events relating to Alan Ayckbourn as well as acting as a consultant on other events and curating Ayckbourn-related exhibitions.
Research Assistance, Contributions & Talks
This is a selection of some of the organisations I've worked with as Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist such as providing research assistance and contributions, writing articles for, organising exhibitions and giving talks.○ The Borthwick Institute for Archives
○ Scarborough Museums and Galleries
○ BBC Television / BBC Radio
○ North Yorkshire Libraries
○ The National Theatre
○ Stephen Joseph Theatre
○ The New Vic
○ The Old Laundry Theatre
○ The Mill at Sonning
○ Royal & Derngate Theatre
○ Scarborough Museums and Galleries
○ BBC Television / BBC Radio
○ North Yorkshire Libraries
○ The National Theatre
○ Stephen Joseph Theatre
○ The New Vic
○ The Old Laundry Theatre
○ The Mill at Sonning
○ Royal & Derngate Theatre
○ The Old Vic
○ Edinburgh International Festival
○ Concord Theatricals
○ John Good Publications
○ Coventry University Scarborough
○ Scarborough Civic Society
○ Scarborough Archaeological Society
○ Animated Objects
○ Big Ideas By The Sea Festival
○ NODA
○ Edinburgh International Festival
○ Concord Theatricals
○ John Good Publications
○ Coventry University Scarborough
○ Scarborough Civic Society
○ Scarborough Archaeological Society
○ Animated Objects
○ Big Ideas By The Sea Festival
○ NODA
Examples of Exhibitions As Curator
- 2026: The Library Theatre A two month photographic exhibition at Scarborough Library celebrating the founding of the UK's first professional theatre in the round at the library in 1955.
- 2025: The Library Theatre at 70 A multi-media celebration of the founding of the UK's first professional theatre in the round at Scarborough Library in 1955.
- 2023: The Ayckbourn Collection at Scarborough Museums and Galleries Facilitated and curated the donation of a collection concerning Alan Ayckbourn and theatre in the round to Scarborough's permanent collections.
- 2019: The Stephen Joseph Theatre - A History A permanent exhibition at the Stephen Joseph Theatre chronicling the history of the company, decade by decade alongside key figures and themes
- 2017: Stephen Joseph: A Retrospective A major exhibition marking the life of British theatre pioneer Stephen Joseph on the 50th anniversary of his death.
- 2015: SJT@60 Two photographic exhibitions at the Stephen Joseph Theatre celebrating its 60th anniversary.
- 2015: The SJT At 60 A major exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery celebrating the 60th anniversary of the SJT.
- 2011 & 2016: Archiving Alan Ayckbourn Exhibitions offering a look at some of the more significant holdings of the Ayckbourn Archive.
- 2009: Ayckbourn At 70 A photographic exhibition for Northampton's Royal & Derngate Theatre to accompany its Ayckbourn At 70 season.
- 2005: 50 Years Of The SJT An exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the SJT.