Scarborough A - Z
The A - Z is an alphabetical guide to people, places and events relating to theatre - with an emphasis on theatre in the round - in Scarborough. This is an ongoing project, produced in association with the Encyclopaedia at www.alanayckbourn.net with new content being regularly added. To begin exploring, click on a letter in the right hand column below.W
A - Z
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West End: Theatre in the Round has a long and rich tradition of premiering plays which later opened in the West End including the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. More than 35 of Alan Ayckbourn's plays have transferred to the West End and other notable productions which began life in Scarborough include Stephen Mallatratt's The Woman in Black - the second longest running play in the West End; Neville's Island by Tim Firth and Tishoo by Brian Thompson. The royalties from Alan Ayckbourn's West End productions were vital in keeping Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre solvent and financially viable during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s.
Westwood Country Modern School: See Municipal School.
Wilson, Colin: Colin Wilson (1931 - 2013) was a prolific English writer and novelist most famous for his philosophical work The Outsider, which was a global best-seller. Wilson had an interest in theatre and was encouraged by Stephen Joseph to write plays. His first and only produced play, Viennese Interlude, was premiered at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, on 14 December 1959 and directed by Stephen Joseph. Joseph also commissioned a full-length work from Wilson, which was scheduled for 1963 but was never written.
The Woman in Black: An adaptation of Susan Hill's acclaimed novella by the playwright Stephen Mallatratt. It opened on 11 December 1987 in the Studio at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round, Scarborough. Intended as a low-budget thriller for Christmas, the play transferred to London two years later and became the second longest running play in the West End after Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.
Woodend Gallery and Studios: The former home of the famed Sitwell family in Scarborough, Woodened is now a gallery space and creative industries hub. Woodend is part of Scarborough Museums and Galleries, which was donated the Ayckbourn Collection in 2023.
Wood, John: Former Education Officer for the North Riding Education Committee and friend of Stephen Joseph. He suggested Joseph explore the possibility of utilising Scarborough Library as a venue for his proposed theatre in the round company in 1954.
Wood, Rodney: Stage manager, director and Theatre Manager at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre. He was appointed Director of Productions at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre from 1967 to 1968 and also introduced to and hired Alan Ayckbourn for the company.
Wood, Stephen: Former Press Officer at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round (1976 to 1982) and, later, the first Chief Executive of the Stephen Joseph Theatre (SJT) from 1996 to 2015.
Worley, Irene Maud: Alan Ayckbourn's mother, known as 'Lolly' and who wrote professionally as Mary James. She was born on 12 March 1906 in Basildon, Essex, and who died on 26 February 1999 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
www.alanayckbourn.net: Alan Ayckbourn's official website, launched in 2001 and created and curated by his archivist Simon Murgatroyd. It is regarded as the single largest online resource dedicated to a living playwright at over 3,500 pages. It offers an extensive look at the playwright, his careers and his plays.
The Scarborough: A - Z section of the website is created in collaboration with Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website. Original research is by Simon Murgatroyd and copyright of the author. Please credit this website if reproducing the information.