Way Upstream is a play by Alan Ayckbourn. It was first performed, under Ayckbourn's direction, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, UK, "in the round" at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, on 2 October 1981.[1] Although realistic in style, with a setting of a hired cabin cruiser on an English river, some journalists read it as an allegory of the political state of England at the time, with the violent resolution of the usurping captain's tyrannical regime taking place at "Armageddon Bridge", and crew members "Alistair" and "Emma" (representing an innocent "Adam" and "Eve") making a new start at the end.[2][3] Ayckbourn, however, always maintained he was an apolitical writer and is on frequent record for his lack of interest in party politics; his website makes it clear that the play is not about the political state of the nation.[4]
| Way Upstream | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Written by | Alan Ayckbourn | ||
| Characters | Keith June Alistair Emma Mrs. Hatfield Vince Fleur | ||
| Date premiered | 2 October 1981 | ||
| Place premiered | Stephen Joseph Theatre (Westwood site), Scarborough | ||
| Original language | English | ||
| Subject | Power struggles | ||
| Official site | |||
| Ayckbourn chronology | |||
| |||
Original cast
edit- Keith: Robin Bowerman
- June: Carole Boyd
- Alistair: Robin Herford
- Emma: Lavinia Bertram
- Mrs Hatfield: Susan Uebel
- Vince: Graeme Eton
- Fleur: Gillian Bevan
London opening
editThe London première was at the proscenium Lyttelton Theatre on 4 October 1982, with Ayckbourn again directing.[5] It had been postponed since August; the production became notorious because of its many technical problems during rehearsal, most spectacularly the bursting of the water tank which flooded the National Theatre.
Cast
edit- Keith: Tony Haygarth
- June: Susan Fleetwood
- Alistair: Jim Norton
- Emma: Julie Legrand
- Mrs Hatfield: Jane Downs
- Vince: James Laurenson
- Fleur: Nina Thomas
Critical reception
editAt the much-delayed première the excitement of the technical problems distorted the appreciation of some critics with Jack Tinker, representative of the Daily Mail, turning up wearing wellington boots.[6] Most, however, found a work of "genuine merit".[2][7]
Other productions
editIt is possible to stage the work without a flooded set and it remains popular with both professional companies and amateur societies.[8] It was revived at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in October 2003.[9] In 1987 the BBC adapted the play as a TV movie, but this has never been released on DVD.[10]
BBC Cast
edit- Keith: Barrie Rutter
- June: Marion Bailey
- Alistair: Nick Dunning
- Emma: Joanne Pearce
- Mrs Hatfield: Veronica Clifford
- Vince: Stuart Wilson
- Fleur: Lizzy McInnerny
References
edit- ^ Ayckbourn, Alan. (1983). Way Upstream: A Play. London: Samuel French. ISBN 0-573-11504-4.
- ^ a b Londré, Felicia Hardison (1996). "Alan Ayckbourn". In Gale, Steven H. (ed.). Encyclopedia of British Humorists. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 70. ISBN 0-8240-5990-5.
- ^ Hayman, Ronald (1984). "Alan Ayckbourn". In Hochman, Stanley (ed.). McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 247. ISBN 0-07-079169-4.
- ^ "Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website".
- ^ Staff. "Past events 1981-1985". National Theatre. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ^ Billington, Michael (23 October 2003). "The show must float on". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ^ Allen, Paul (2001). Alan Ayckbourn: Grinning at the Edge. London: Methuen. p. 205. ISBN 0-413-73120-0.
- ^ Murgatroyd, Simon (2006). "Way Upstream: Background & History". Alan Ayckbourn's official website. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
- ^ Watson, Ian (24 October 2003). "Way Upstream (Scarborough)". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
- ^ Way Upstream at IMDb