Sisterly Feelings: Significant Productions

This page contains details of significant productions of Alan Ayckbourn's Sisterly Feelings, such as the world and London premieres as well as Ayckbourn-directed revivals. It is not a complete list of productions given how frequently it has been performed by professionals and amateur companies around the world.

World Premiere (1979)

First Performance: 10 January 1979
World premiere: 10 / 11 January 1979
Final performance: 3 February 1979
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough
Staging: Round **

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Jeremy Turner
Music: Paul Todd

Stage Manager: Janet Fox
Deputy Stage Manager: Christopher Gray
Assistant Stage Manager: Dee Marsden
Assistant Stage Manager: Isobel Nimmo
Assistant Stage Manager: Sarah Wynter
Character
Ralph
Abigail, his daughter
Dorcas, his daughter
Melvyn, his son
Len, Ralph’s brother-in-law
Rita, Len’s wife
Patrick, Abigail’s husband
Brenda, Melvyn’s fiancée
Simon, her brother
Stafford
Murphy
Actor
Stanley Page
Alison Skilbeck
Judy Bridgland
Robin Bowerman
John Arthur
Shelagh Stuttle
James Bate
Lavinia Bertram
Robin Herford
Robin Murphy
Christopher Gray
* Technically speaking the play was presented three-sided / thrust as almost all of one of the four seating blocks was taken out to allow for the incorporation of a hill into the set.

Revival (1979) *

First Performance: 4 June 1979
Premiere: 4 June 1979
Final performance: 22 September 1979
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough
Staging: Round

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Jeremy Turner
Music: Paul Todd

Stage Manager: Sean O’Neill
Character
Ralph
Abigail, his daughter
Dorcas, his daughter
Melvyn, his son
Len, Ralph’s brother-in-law
Rita, Len’s wife
Patrick, Abigail’s husband
Brenda, Melvyn’s fiancée
Simon, her brother
Stafford
Murphy
Actor
Andrew Jarvis
Alison Skilbeck
Judy Bridgland
Robin Bowerman
John Arthur
Shelagh Stuttle
Stephen Mallatratt
Lavinia Bertram
Robin Herford
Robin Murphy
Jonathan Robinson
* The world premier production had a very short run before embarking on tour. It was then revived for the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round summer season with a slightly altered cast.

London Premiere (1980)

First performance: 3 June 1980
Premiere: 3 / 4 June 1980
Final performance: 5 February 1981
Venue: The Olivier, National Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Co-Director: Christopher Morahan
Design: Alan Tagg
Lighting: David Hersey
Costumes: Lindy Hemming
Sound: Sue Fortescue
Character
Dr Ralph Matthews
Abigail, his daughter
Dorcas, his daughter
Melvyn, his son
Len, Ralph’s brother-in-law
Rita, Len’s wife
Patrick, Abigail’s husband
Brenda, Melvyn’s fiancée
Simon, her brother
Stafford T Wilkins
Murphy
Major Lidgett
Actor
Andrew Cruickshank
Penelope Wilton
Anna Carteret
Greg Hicks
Michael Bryant
Susan Williamson
Michael Gambon
Selina Cadell
Stephen Moore
Simon Callow
Michael Fenner
Gordon Whiting

UK Tour (1982)

First performance: 19 January 1982
Venue: The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Staging: End-stage

Director: Peter Barkworth
Design: Hugh Durrant
Lighting: James Baird

Producer: Triumph Productions
Character
Dr Ralph Matthews
Abigail, his daughter
Dorcas, his daughter
Melvyn, his son
Len, Ralph’s brother-in-law
Rita, Len’s wife
Patrick, Abigail’s husband
Brenda, Melvyn’s fiancée
Simon, her brother
Stafford T Wilkins
Murphy
Major Lidgett
Actor
Peter Sallis
Trudie Styler
Tessa Peake-Jones
Richard Huw
Bryan Pringle
Barbara Keogh
Brian Jameson
Sarah London
Cecil Humphreys
Wyn Jones
Dominic Snowden
John Channell-Mills
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.