Alan Ayckbourn, 1981 (photo)

Alan Ayckbourn (born 1939) Prolific English playwright. He has written and produced more than 70 full-length, mostly humourous and satirical, plays in Scarborough and London, many of them performed at the Royal National Theatre or by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Major successes include Absurd Person Singular (1975), The Norman Conquests trilogy (1973), Bedroom Farce (1975), A Chorus of Disapproval (1984), Woman in Mind (1985), A Small Family Business (1987), Man Of The Moment (1988) and Private Fears in Public Places (2004). His plays have won numerous honours and awards. He was knighted in 1997.