Just Between Ourselves: Significant Productions

This page contains details of significant productions of Alan Ayckbourn's Just Between Ourselves, such as the world and London premieres as well as Ayckbourn-directed revivals. It is not a complete list of productions given how frequently it has been performed by professionals and amateur companies around the world.

World Premiere (1976)

First performance: 28 January 1976
World premiere: 28 January 1976
Final performance: 31 January 1976
Venue: The Large Lecture Room at The Library Theatre, Scarborough
Staging: Three-sided

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Helga Wood

Stage Manager: Richard Roscoe
Deputy Stage Manager: Peter Chadwick
Assistant Stage Manager: Stephen Lowe
Assistant Stage Manager: Wendy Murray
Assistant Stage Manager: Christopher J. Gray
Character
Dennis
Vera, his wife
Neil
Marjorie, Dennis’s mother
Pam
Actor
Christopher Godwin
Polly Warren
Malcolm Hebden
Janet Dale
Alison Skilbeck
Note: The original production was only scheduled for six performances to close The Library Theatre’s 1975 / 1976 winter season. It was then revived for the 1976 summer season. Due to the unavailability off the Concert Room where Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre was usually based, the alternative Large Lecture Room was used for the 1975/76 winter season. The dimensions of this precluded an in-the-round production, sir it was performed three-sided.

Revival (1976)

First performance: 17 June 1976
Premiere: 17 June 1976
Final performance: 11 September 1976
Venue: Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough
Staging: Three-sided

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Helga Wood

Stage Manager: David Millard
Deputy Stage Manager: Christopher Gray
Assistant Stage Manager: Wendy Murray
Assistant Stage Manager: Nigel LeVaillant
Character
Dennis
Vera, his wife
Neil
Marjorie, Dennis’s mother
Pam
Actor
Christopher Godwin
Heather Stoney
Malcolm Hebden
Elspeth Charlton
Alison Skilbeck
Note: As noted above, the world premiere production was performed three-sided in the Large Lecture Room at The Library Theatre. When the play was revived for the summer season, the Concert Room was used as the performance space (the space traditionally used by the company). However, Alan Ayckbourn decided to keep the production three-sided rather than re-stage and re-direct it.

London Premiere (1977)

Premiere: 20 April 1977
Final performance: 3 September 1977
Venue: The Queen's Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Strachan
Design: Patrick Robertson
Lighting: Nick Chelton
Character
Dennis
Vera, his wife
Neil
Marjorie, Dennis’s mother
Pam
Actor
Colin Blakely
Rosemary Leach
Michael Gambon
Constance Chapman
Stephanie Turner

Revival (1996)

First performance: 5 January 1996
Premiere: 5 January 1996
Final performance: 3 February 1986
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough
Staging: Round

Director: Robin Herford
Design: Jan Bee Brown
Lighting: Jason Taylor
Music: John Pattison

Stage Manager: Philip Rees
Deputy Stage Manager: Sarah Percival
Assistant Stage Manager: Vivianne Baxter
Character
Dennis
Vera, his wife
Neil
Marjorie, Dennis’s mother
Pam
Actor
Jon Strickland
Lesley Meade
Malcolm Hebden
Marlene Sidaway
Elizabeth Rider

Revival (2009)

First performance: 22 May 2009
Final performance: 213 June 2009
Venue: Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Staging: End-stage

Director: Mark Rosenblatt
Design: Ben Stones
Lighting: James Farncombe
Composer: Olly Fox
Sound Design: Adrienne Quartly
Character
Dennis
Vera, his wife
Neil
Marjorie, Dennis’s mother
Pam
Actor
Kim Wall
Dorothy Atkinson
Matthew Cottle
Marlene Sidaway
Lucy Briers
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.