Alan Ayckbourn has written more than 70 plays, mainly comedies, many which are very well known around the world. His plays haven’t received much exposure in Catalunya, so this new production “Absurds i Singulars” has been eagerly awaited. The play has been translated from the original British version of “Absurd Person Singular”.

It is set in the 70’s, over three Christmas Eves and takes place in the kitchen of three couples ranging from working to upper class. It begins in the kitchen of the suburbanites Sidney and Jan Hopcroft, where we are introduced to the six characters . Sidney, a housing developer, is only interested in making a good impression on his guests and in convincing banker Ronald Brewster-Wright and architect Geoffrey Jackson to invest in his business. His wife Jane, however, is more interested in making her kitchen spotless and serving the guests. In this first act it is already quite obvious how Ayckbourn is able to show the misery and bitterness of a marriage. Geoffrey and Eva’s relationship is on the rocks and Ronald and Marion have to survive to her increasing alcoholism.
The second act is set in Geoffrey and Eva’s modern and elegant flat, quite different from the conservative and cheap kitchen from “last” Christmas. The fancy environment is overshadowed by one of the characters’ desperate attempts to commit suicide and how nobody realizes what’s going on.
In the third and last act, called “next” Christmas, we are shown in a very cruel and ironic way how life is a wheel and your fortune is not for sure.

by Leticia Sauter