Alan Ayckbourn to Step-Down as SJT's Artistic Director

According to WhatsOnStage.com, Alan Ayckbourn, renowned playwright and director, plans to resign as the artistic director of Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre (SJT) next year.

Over 70 of his own plays premiered at SJT after 36 years on the job.

Ayckbourn, now 68 years-old, suffered a stroke last February which kept him out of work for six months.  "Though he has had to, and will continue to, cut back on his workload ahead of his retirement from the position a statement published by SJT explains that he will remain involved with the theatre with which his name has become inextricably linked," states the website.

More than 25 of Ayckbourn's plays have been produced in the West End and on Broadway including Olivier Award-winning Comic Potential, Tony-nominated Bedroom Farce, the original musical By Jeeves, and Absurd Person Singular, The Norman Conquests, A Small Family Business, Things We Do for Love and House and Garden.

SJT chairman, Sue Trufitt, says: "Ayckbourn's day-to-day involvement in the running of the Stephen Joseph Theatre has been decreasing, although his directing work has continued as normal. In the forthcoming season, he will be directing Relatively Speaking and A Trip to Scarborough and he is planning for the 2008/09 season. This decrease in his workload will lead to the appointment of a new artistic director in the summer of 2008, to plan the 2009/10 season. Alan intends to continue to direct revivals of his plays at the theatre as well as premiering any of his new work there."