The Inside Outside Slide Show (1989)
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough
Description: Play for children / young people
Published / Available to Stage: No
Short Synopsis: A very serious slide show is interrupted when the assistant falls into the slides!
History
The Inside Outside Slide Show was Alan Ayckbourn's first attempt at Saturday morning theatre for youngsters. The light piece was designed to offer entertainment for youngsters at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round and whose plot cleverly involves and integrates projected slides. It has only ever been produced once.There is a cast of just two, but the slides were populated by many of that season's company, who were photographed at a local stately home, Wykeham Abbey, for the play by the renowned theatre photographer John Haynes, which Alan had story-boarded in advance. Although a popular show, the play has rarely been revived and has never been published.
The plot sees Mrs Grimshaw trying to give a very serious illustrated lecture on how Edwardians used to live. But her assistant Clyde has different ideas, and not only gets everything wrong, but ends up falling into the slide projector in pursuit of his true love.
It is believed just two original manuscripts for The Inside Outside Slide Show still survive, held in the Ayckbourn Archive at the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York and a private collection. The manuscript had previously been thought lost but a surviving copy was discovered by Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist, Simon Murgatroyd, during early 2020 alongside photo-copies of Alan's storyboards for the photographs, show and rehearsal reports. Sadly, the actual slides and photographs have not survived or been retained in the Stephen Joseph Theatre's archive.
World Premiere (1989)
World premiere: 22 July 1989
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough
Staging: End-stage
Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Geof Keys
Photography: John Haynes
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough
Staging: End-stage
Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Geof Keys
Photography: John Haynes
Character
Mrs Grimshaw
Clyde
Mrs Grimshaw
Clyde
Actor
Doreen Andrew
Martin Sadler
Doreen Andrew
Martin Sadler
Further Reading
The Inside Outside Slide Show has not been published.Manuscripts (research & reference)
An original manuscript for The Inside Outside Show is held in the Ayckbourn Archive in the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York. The manuscript is accessible onsite for research purposes.
Reviews (world premiere)
Many A Slip In The Slide Show
Scarborough Evening News, 24 July 1989
The Inside Outside Slide Show
David Jeffels, The Stage, 10 August 1989
The Inside Outside Slide Show
Yorkshire Post, 31 July 1989
The Plays for Children & Young People sections of this website are supported by Brett Bayne
All research and original material in this section of Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website is by Simon Murgatroyd M.A. and copyright of Haydonning Ltd. All other material is copyright of the named copyright holder. Please do not reproduce any material without permission of the copyright holder. For enquiries, email: archive@alanayckbourn.net