Alan Ayckbourn Encyclopaedia: M
Mahatma Ghandi Hall: The London venue on Fitzroy Street where Alan Ayckbourn first saw Stephen Joseph's Studio Theatre Company and a live performance in-the-round. The performance was the first British production of Sartre's Huis Clos.Make Yourself At Home (The Norman Conquests): Original title for The Norman Conquests play Living Together used for its world premiere at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, in 1973.
Making Tracks: Alan Ayckbourn's 28th play premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, on 16 December 1981 and opened at the Greenwich Theatre, London, on 14 March 1983. It is Alan Ayckbourn's second full-length collaboration with the composer Paul Todd and is set in a recording studio. The plot concerns an in-debt impresario who hatches a plan to deceive his debtors by staking everything on a talentless singer, unknowingly dubbed by another woman.
Making Tracks (original cast recording): A recording of the original production was published on audio-cassette and made available for the duration of the run from the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round.
Stephen Mallatratt: Actor and writer who joined the Library Theatre during 1974 and appeared in a number of Ayckbourn world premieres. Encouraged by Alan Ayckbourn, he would go on to become a world famous writer, most notably for his adaptation of Susan Hill's novella The Woman in Black.
Man Of The Moment: Alan Ayckbourn's 35th play premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, on 10 August 1988 and opened at the Globe Theatre, London, on 14 February 1990. Famous for its on-stage swimming pool, it is a satirical attack on the media obsession with celebrity centring on the reunion of a have-a-go hero and the bank robber - now a media celebrity - he tackled during a heist.
Man Of The Moment (radio - 1992): The play was adapted for radio by the BBC World Service and first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 10 May 1992. Jon Strickland reprised his original role of Douglas Beechey while Peter Vaughn reprised his London role of Vic Parks.
Man Of The Moment (radio - 2009): The play was adapted for radio by Jarvis And Ayres Productions for the BBC and first broadcast on 11 April 2009.
Matthews, Edgar: A tutor at Haileybury who encouraged Alan Ayckbourn to act and who was responsible for enabling Alan's first professional acting job with Sir Donald Wolfit's company in 1957.
The McCarthy: The end-stage auditorium at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough. The theatre is named after Charles 'Mac' McCarthy, a key figure in the conversion of Scarborough's Odeon cinema into the Stephen Joseph Theatre, who bought the name of the auditorium as part of the theatre's fund-raising efforts. It is a 165-seat venue in which Alan Ayckbourn has premiered the plays Things We Do For Love, House and Virtual Reality. Haunting Julia was conceived with this space in mind, but was staged in-the-round when the theatre conversion was not completed by the expected date.
Me: One part of Alan Ayckbourn and Paul Todd's revue Me, Myself And I.
Meeting Like This: Title of a proposed play to replace Henceforward... in 1987. The play was never written as the perceived problems with Henceforward... were overcome.
Meet My Father (Relatively Speaking): Original title of Relatively Speaking and the title by which the play was produced at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, on 8 July 1965. This production - which was substantially edited from the original manuscript - differs substantially to the play as it exists today, most notably not including the play's final twist involving the slippers.
Meet My Mother: Original proposed title for Meet My Father (Relatively Speaking) altered by Alan Ayckbourn or Stephen Joseph, depending on which account you read.
Me, Myself And I: A musical revue by Alan Ayckbourn and Paul Todd premiered in the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, on 2 June 1981. The revue was originally shown in three separate parts (Me / Myself / I) and also had a separate prologue and epilogue. The separate parts were later united into a single revue.
Men, Meals & Me: An as-yet unproduced play written by Alan Ayckbourn during 2018.
Men On Women On Men: A musical revue by Alan Ayckbourn and Paul Todd premiered in the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, on 17 June 1978. The revue takes a sideways glance at the relationships between men and women, featuring 14 songs and no plot as such.
Men On Women On Men (original cast recording): A recording of the original production was published on audio-cassette and made available for the duration of the run from the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round.
Men On Women On Men (television): The revue was recorded for television by BBC North and first broadcast on 2 February 1989 on BBC1. The production was directed by Alan Ayckbourn and featured the original cast with the exception of Alison Skilbeck replacing Fiona Mathieson.
Mere Soup Songs: A musical revue by Alan Ayckbourn and Paul Todd (their final collaboration) premiered in the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, on 22 May 1986. The revue looks at the truths and untruths found in relationships.
Me Times Me (Family Circles): In 1971, the play The Story So Far... began an unsuccessful pre-West End tour under the title Me Times Me Times Me. By the second venue, this had been shortened to Me Times Me. The play never reached the West End and a second tour in 1972 under the shortened title would be similarly unsuccessful in reaching the West End. The play was retitled Family Circles soon after the aborted second tour.
Me Times Me Times Me (Family Circles): In 1971, the play The Story So Far... began an unsuccessful pre-West End tour under the title Me Times Me Times Me. This was later shortened to Me Times Me. The play never reached the West End and would later be retitled Family Circles.
The Michael T. Mooney Archive: One of the largest private Ayckbourn collections in the world, which was donated by its owner - Michael T. Mooney - to the Ayckbourn Archive during 2016.
Midgley, Robin: One of only several directors who have directed the West End premieres of Alan Ayckbourn plays. He directed Relatively Speaking in 1967 and How The Other Half Loves in 1970, both of which enjoyed enormous success in London.
Millennium: A Scarborough tourist attraction which opened in May 1993, telling the history of the town. It originally featured several actors playing characters from the town's past, the scripts for which were written by Alan Ayckbourn. These characters were phased out over time due to the financial costs and the attraction closed in 2002.
Mind Over Murder: An unpublished and unproduced full-length play and accompanying screenplay written by Alan Ayckbourn, probably in 1959. Mind Over Murder is held in the Ayckbourn Archive at the University Of York and is not available for production.
Miranda's Magic Mirror: A play for young people presented in 10 parts at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, from 19 June 2004. It follows the adventures of the pretty but vain Miranda, whose reflection decides she's had enough and takes a holiday with Miranda in pursuit.
Miss Yesterday: Alan Ayckbourn's 68th play premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, on 2 December 2004. This time-travelling tale for the family, partly inspired by Ray Bradbury's short-story A Sound Of Thunder, posits what would happen if you could change time. Tamara is given the opportunity to save her brother by altering time - but this has terrible and unforeseen consequences.
Mr A's Amazing Maze Plays: Alan Ayckbourn's 36th play premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, on 30 November 1988, and opened at Polka Theatre, London, on 30 September 1989. It was also produced at the National Theatre, opening on 4 March 1993. This family play centres on Suzy, her dog Neville and the evil Mr Accousticus who steals sounds. With the help of the audience, Suzy must navigate her way through Mr Accousticus's house to retrieve Neville's bark.
Mr Whatnot: Alan Ayckbourn's 6th play premiered at the Victoria Theatre, Stoke on Trent, on 12 November 1963, and opened at the New Arts Theatre, London, on 6 August 1964; the first Ayckbourn play to transfer to London. It follows the extraordinary adventures of a mute piano tuner and his often surrealistic adventures as he attempts to get the girl of his dreams.
Mixed Blessings: A follow-up to the anthology Mixed Doubles (of which Alan Ayckbourn contributed the play Countdown) which was only performed once for a week in Horsham during September 1973. Alan Ayckbourn contributed the one act play Mother Figure, which he subsequently took back and incorporated into Confusions.
Mixed Doubles: A popular play which, following a long production history incorporating various titles, opened in its final form at the Comedy Theatre, London, on 9 April 1969. Featuring a selection of marriage-themed plays by the likes of Harold Pinter, David Campton and James Saunders. It also features the one act play Countdown by Alan Ayckbourn.
Modern Dramatists: Alan Ayckbourn: A book by the noted theatre critic Michael Billington on Alan Ayckbourn's plays. First published in Macmillan 1983 and updated for a second edition in 1990.
Modern Love: A short unpublished and unproduced sketch by Alan Ayckbourn, probably written in the early 1960s. It is held in the Ayckbourn Archive at the University Of York and is not available for production.
Molière Awards: Prestigious French theatrical awards. Alan Ayckbourn has won Molière Awards For Best Comedy in 1997 with Communicating Doors and in 2003 for his play Things We Do For Love.
Morgan, Lillian: Alan Ayckbourn's grandmother - on his mother's side - who began her professional theatrical career as a well-known Welsh male impersonator who toured English music halls.
Mother Figure (Confusions): One of the five one-act plays which comprise Confusions. A short play in which a mother welcomes guests, talking to them in the same manner she talks to and treats her child.
Murgatroyd, Simon: Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist and the administrator and creator of the playwright's official website. A professional writer and former journalist, he is also the author of the book Unseen Ayckbourn and was responsible for both finding Alan Ayckbourn's lost second play, Love After All, in 2007 and the believed destroyed original manuscript for Absurd Person Singular in 2022. Between 2004 and 2022, he was the Honorary Archivist for The Bob Watson Archive at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.
The Musical Jigsaw Play: Alan Ayckbourn's 48th play premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, on 1 December 1994. Set in the place where bands who drop out of the charts go, it follows Why Why Why as they attempt to produce a hit song with the aid of the audience in order to get back into the charts. This play has been withdrawn from production by the playwright and has never been published.
Musicals: Alan Ayckbourn has written eight full-length musicals (although the are predominantly described as 'plays with music') since 1975. With Andrew Lloyd-Webber he wrote Jeeves (1975), which was later revised to By Jeeves (1996); with Paul Todd, he wrote Suburban Strains (1980) and Making Tracks (1981); with John Pattison, he wrote Dreams From A Summer House (1992) and A Word From Our Sponsor (1995); with Denis King, he has written Whenever (2000), Orvin - Champion Of Champions (2003) and Awaking Beauty (2008). His play, A Boy Who Fell Into A Book (2014) has also been adapted into a musical with book and lyrics by Paul James with music by Cathy Shostak and Eric Angus (it is worth noting this adaptation is not considered to be written by Alan Ayckbourn, but by the adaptors of the play).
Myself: One part of Alan Ayckbourn and Paul Todd's revue Me, Myself And I.
My Sister Sadie: Alan Ayckbourn's 65th play premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, on 2 December 2003. A family play in which an army helicopter crashes near a remote farm; the sole survivor is the young girl Sadie, who may not be all she appears to be. With the military searching the crash-site, what is Sadie's connection and could she possibly be a threat to her new-found friends at the farm?
My Very Own Story: Alan Ayckbourn's 43rd play premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, on 10 August 1991. This family play centres on three story-tellers, triple-booked and each determined to tell their own stories, even if the others insist on making their presences felt in each story.
My Wonderful Day: Alan Ayckbourn's 73rd play premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, on 13 October 2009. It follows the day in the life of nine year old Winnie Barnstairs, quietly observing the traumas of the adults around her during a day off school.
Original research for the The Alan Ayckbourn Encyclopaedia section is by Simon Murgatroyd and copyright of the author.