A Small Family Business: Frequently Asked Questions

Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist Simon Murgatroyd's answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Alan Ayckbourn's A Small Family Business. If you have a question about this or any other of Alan Ayckbourn's plays, you can contact the website via the Contact Us page.

What is happening with Samantha at the end of the play?
The - rather dark - implication is that Samantha is now using the drugs which are being distributed by the family business after Jack allowed the business to become a front and distribution chain for the Rivetti's drug-dealing business. Alan Ayckbourn has emphasised on several occasions that Samantha is essentially overdosing at the climax of the play.

Can I perform the play in a modern setting?
If you do not alter the dialogue, then yes. Otherwise, no. Alan Ayckbourn firmly believes the majority of his plays are period pieces and best served by performing them true the period they were created. His plays are a reflection of the society they were written in - A Small Family Business particularly reflecting the state of the nation during the late 1980s. To update the plays frequently offers no benefit to the play and, arguably, only damages the author's original intentions for the play.

Is the National Theatre's live-stream of the 2014 revival available to buy?
No. As with the majority of the NT's live-streams, its production of A Small Family Business has never been made available commercially nor is likely to.

All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.