Family Circles: Articles

This section contains articles about Family Circles written by Alan Ayckbourn. This article was written by the playwright for the world premiere of the play in 1970.

The Story So Far…

Articles by Alan Ayckbourn

○ The Story So Far (1970)
○ Family Circles (1978)

I suppose the question this play poses is one that many married partners might have asked themselves at some stage or other - either idly or, in some cases, in deadly seriousness. What would have happened had I married someone else? What would have happened to me as a person? Would have I been very different had I married, say, a booming extrovert rather than the nervous hesitant creature with whom I share my breakfast table? And what might have happened to them? Are they as they are, solely as a result of being exposed to the hard core radiation of my own personality?

Intrigued, I explored the possibility. Six individuals are all, at one time or another during this play, married or about to be married to each other. Who’s best suited to who? You can take your choice. These six, at any rate, finally find their own happy solution. But that’s only half the story so far….

Note: On its original production, the play was called A Story So Far…, it would later be altered to Family Circles.

Copyright: Haydonning Ltd. Please do not reproduce without permission of the copyright holder.