Alan Ayckbourn - Rehearsals and Portraits

“ Between 1990 and 1999, Adrian Gatie was the Stephen Joseph Theatre’s official photographer; a remarkable time for the theatre and for the photographer.

Adrian was on hand to capture on film not only the final years of the company at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, but also the first years at its new, permanent home at the Stephen Joseph Theatre.

He was offered more backstage access than any previous photographer. As a result, his work offers a unique insight into a working theatre over a decade and, notably, Alan Ayckbourn’s career. Whilst other photographers had worked with Alan in the rehearsal room, no other collection offers continuous insight into his work both on and off stage over such a sustained period.

Whether directing one of his own 14 plays written during the period, or a revival of a previous Ayckbourn work, or directing the plays of new as well as established writers, these photographs offer a glimpse into a fundamentally essential aspect of Alan Ayckbourn’s career that is rarely touched upon.”

Simon Murgatroyd
Archivist for Alan Ayckbourn