Ayckbourn classic comes to Northampton

Alan Ayckbourn’s classic comedy Henceforward runs from Monday to Saturday February 6 to 11.

It is a brand new production directed by the author, one of Britain’s most successful and prolific playwrights.

All alone, high up in an isolated, derelict suburban tower block, avant garde composer Jerome struggles vainly to complete his life’s masterwork about love.

With the help of a deranged android childminder, he hatches a plan to retrieve his source of artistic inspiration, his beloved daughter Geain, from his hostile and estranged ex-wife.

But the best laid plans of men and mechanical women…

Henceforward… premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in 1987, then played at London’s Vaudeville Theatre a year later in a production which won the Evening Standard Best Comedy Award.

When it subsequently appeared at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988, the cast featured Ian McKellen and Jane Asher.

This latest revival follows a hugely successful production performed in Hamburg, Germany, which opened in February 2015 and was so popular, regularly playing to full houses in the 1200-seat theatre, that the run was extended and the show ended up playing for over a year.

Among the cast includes an actress who is no stranger to science fiction and comedy.

Jacqueline King is in the cast and she is best known for her appearance in the BBC drama series Doctor Who.

She played Sylvia Noble the overbearing mother of Catherine’s Tate in a number of episodes broadcast between 2006 to 2010.

Other cast members includes Bill Champion who plays the leading role of Jermome as well as Andy Cryer, Jessie Hart, Nigel Hastings, Velvet Hebditch and Laura Matthews.

Performances takes place at 7.45pm each night with matinee performances taking place at 2.30pm on Thursday and Saturday during the week long run.

Tickets for the show are available for between £10 and £29. For more details call the box office on 01604 624811 or visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk.