A Small Family Business: Significant Productions

This page contains details of significant productions of Alan Ayckbourn's A Small Family Business, such as the world and London premieres as well as Ayckbourn-directed revivals. It is not a complete list of productions given how frequently Alan Ayckbourn's plays are performed by professionals and amateur companies around the world.

World Premiere (1987)

First Performance: 21 May 1987
World premiere: 5 June 1987
Final performance: 10 September 1988
Venue: The Olivier, National Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Alan Tagg
Costumes: Lindy Hemming
Lighting: Mick Hughes
Music: Paul Todd

Character
Ken Ayres
Desmond Ayres
Harriet Ayres
Jack McCracken
Poppy McCracken
Cliff McCracken
Anita McCracken
Samantha McCracken
Tina Ruston
Roy Ruston
Yvonne Doggett
Benedict Hough
The Rivetti Brothers

Actor
Ron Pember
John Arthur
Marcia Warren
Michael Gambon
Polly Adams
Russell Dixon
Elizabeth Bell
Suzan Sylvester
Diane Bull
Adrian Rawlins
Barbara Hicks
Simon Cadell
Michael Simkins

Note: After Michael Gambon injured himself during rehearsals, the role of Jack McCracken was played by Allan Mitchell for two weeks until Gambon was able to return to the role. The original press night was postponed to 5 June to accommodate the absence of Gambon.

London Recast (1988)

Premiere: 21 May 1987
Final performance: 10 September 1988
Venue: The Olivier, National Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Alan Tagg
Costumes: Lindy Hemming
Lighting: Mick Hughes
Music: Paul Todd

Actor
Ron Pember
Nigel Bellairs
Bridget Turner
Stephen Moore
Polly Adams
Russell Dixon
Sarah Atkinson
Theresa Boden
Diane Bull
Adrian Jubb
Moira Redmond
Clive Francis
Jim Barclay

New York Premiere (1992)

Premiere: 27 April 1992
Final performance: 7 June 1992
Performances: 48
Venue: Music Box Theatre

Director: Lynne Meadow
Design: John Lee Beatty
Lighting: Peter Kaczorowski
Producer: Manhattan Theatre Club

Character
Jack McCracken
Cliff
Samantha
Poppy
Harriet
Desmond
Tina
Benedict Hough
Ken Ayres
Yvonne
Anita
Roy
The Rivetti brothers

Actor
Brian Murray
Mark Arnott
Amelia Campbell
Jane Carr
Patricia Conolly
John Curless
Barbara Garrick
Anthony Heald
Thomas Hill
Patricia Kilgarriff
Caroline Lagerfelt
Robert Stanton
Jake Weber

Revival (2000)

Premiere: 19 July 2000
Final performance: 30 September 2000
Venue: Chichester Festival Theatre
Staging: End-stage

Director: Rachel Kavanaugh
Design: Francis O'Connor
Lighting: Tim Mitchell
Sound: Gregory Clarke
Fight Director: Terry King

Actor
John Nettleton
Peter Forbes
Vicki Pepperdine
Nigel Planer
Serena Evans
Daniel Flynn
Issy van Randwick
Lindsay Fawcett
Claire Carrie
Damien Matthews
Christine Absalom
Christopher Luscombe
Damien Goodwin
Daisy Flynn

Revival (2014)

First performance: 1 April 2014
Premiere: 8 April 2014
Final performance: 27 August 2014
Venue: The Olivier, National Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Adam Penford
Design: Tim Hatley
Lighting: Paul Anderson
Music: Grant Olding
Fight Director: Alison de Burgh
Sound: Gareth Fry

Stage Manager: Kerry McDevitt
Deputy Stage Manager: Sara Gunter
Assistant Stage Manager: Ella May McDermott
Assistant Stage Manager: Julia Wickham

Character
Desmond Ayres
Cliff McCracken
Benedict Hough
Poppy
Ken Ayres
Yvonne Doggett
Jack McCracken
Harriet
Tina
The Rivetti Brothers
Samantha
Roy Ruston
Anita

Actor
Neal Barry
Stephen Beckett
Matthew Cottle
Debra Gillett
Gawn Grainger
Amanda Hadingue
Nigel Lindsay
Amy Marston
Rebecca McKinnis
Gerard Monaco
Alice Sykes
Samuel Taylor
Niky Wardley

All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.