A Small Family Business

A Small Family Business is a play by Alan Ayckbourn about the eponymous business and dealing with the Thatcherism of the time.[1] It premiered at the Olivier stage of the Royal National Theatre on 20 May 1987, where it won the Evening Standard Award for Best Play for that year.[2][3] Its Broadway premiere occurred on 27 April 1992.[4]

A Smal Family Business
Written byAlan Ayckbourn
CharactersKen
Desmond
Harriet
Jack
Poppy
Cliff
Anita
Samantha
Tina
Roy
Yvonne
Benedict
The Rivetti Brothers
Date premiered21 May 1987
Place premieredEngland
Original languageEnglish
SubjectGreed, corruption
GenreDrama
Official site
Ayckbourn chronology
Woman in Mind
(1985)
Henceforward...
(1987)

Radio adaptation

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A radio adaptation directed by Martin Jarvis was broadcast at 8 p.m. on Sunday 12 April 2009 on BBC Radio 3 as part of the celebrations of its author's 70th birthday that day.[5] Its cast included:

Reception

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In 2000, The Telegraph's Charles Spencer praised A Small Family Business as one of the "finest British plays of recent years" along with Tom Stoppard's Arcadia (1993).[6]

References

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  1. ^ Billington, Michael (9 April 2014). "A Small Family Business review – revival sells Ayckbourn short". The Guardian.
  2. ^ "A Small Family Business | Samuel French". samuelfrench.com.
  3. ^ "Evening Standard Theatre Awards 1980–2003". Evening Standard. London. 29 October 2003.
  4. ^ "A Small Family Business – Broadway Play – Original | IBDB". ibdb.com.
  5. ^ "BBC Radio 3 – Drama on 3, A Small Family Business". BBC.
  6. ^ Spencer, Charles (17 May 2000). "A stripped-down comedy that's no laughing matter". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 27 February 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
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