Absent Friends: Further Reading
This page contains details of publications & articles relating to Absent Friends. The information is for research & the website cannot provide copies of the articles listed.Published Editions
Absent Friends (click here to buy)Samuel French Ltd, 1975, ISBN 0573013314
Three Plays (click here to buy)
Vintage Classics, 2010, ISBN 978-0099541639
Absent Friends
Longman, 1991, ISBN 058201638X
Absent Friends
Longman, 1996, ISBN 0582302420
Three Plays (Hardcover)
Chatto & Windus, 1977, ISBN 070112203X
Three Plays
Penguin, 1979, ISBN 0140481508
Three Plays (North American edition)
Grove Press, 1977, ISBN 0394170830
Three Plays (North American edition)
Grove Press, 1994, ISBN 9780802131577
Absent Friends (Japanese edition)
Hokuseido Press, Details TBC
Bedroom Farce / Absent Friends (Japanese collection - Hardcover)
Orion Press, 1981
Reference Books
Paul Allen: A Pocket Guide to Alan Ayckbourn’s Playspp.34-37 (Faber & Faber, 2004, ISBN 0571214924)
Paul Allen: Alan Ayckbourn - Grinning at the Edge
pp.143-146 (Methuen, 2001, ISBN 0413731200)
Nicola Alper: York Notes - Absent Friends*
(Pearson Education Limited , 1999, ISBN 0582382300)
Michael Billington: Alan Ayckbourn (2nd Ed)*
pp.80-89 (Palgrave, 1990, ISBN 0333498976)
Michael Holt: Alan Ayckbourn*
pp.27 (Northcote Press, 1999, ISBN 0746308590)
Albert E. Kalson: Laughter In The Dark*
pp.46-51 (Associated Universities Press, 1991, ISBN 0838634796)
Oleg Kerensky: The New British Drama
pp.124-126, 129 (Hamish Hamilton, 1977, ISBN0241896282)
Simon Murgatroyd: Unseen Ayckbourn
(Lulu Books, 2023, ISBN 9781447761723)
Ian Watson: Conversations With Ayckbourn*
pp.78, 88, 92(Faber and Faber, 1988, ISBN 0571151922)
Sidney Howard White: Alan Ayckbourn*
pp.67-73 (Twayne Publishers, 1984, ISBN 080576870X)
* indicates out of print
Articles
The Ayckbourn ConquestSydney Edwards, Evening Standard, 14 June 1974
Where The Man With The Golden Laugh Lines Gets Them From
Jack Tinker, Daily Mail, 6 October 1974
The Alan Ayckbourn Phenomenon
Jack Tinker, Daily Mail, 24 July 1975
Scarborough Fare
Michael Coveney, Daily Telegraph, 7 December 1975
The World's His Stage
Hannah Pandian, The Straits Times, 17 February 1993
Forever Friends
Simon Murgatroyd, Scarborough Evening News, 24 September 1997
The Conversation
Dominic Maxwell, The Times, 14 January 2012
Reviews (world premiere)
Ayckbourn's Amusing New ComedyEric Shorter, Daily Telegraph, 18 June 1974
Storms Among The Teacups
Benedict Nightingale, New Statesman, 5 July 1974
Ayckbourn Play Funny, But Over-Long
Scarborough Evening News, 18 June 1974
Ayckbourn Needs To Tighten Up
John Draper, Scarborough Mercury, 22 June 1974
Absent Friends
Robin Thornber, The Guardian, 19 June 1974
Scarborough Absent Friends
The Stage, 27 June 1974
Reviews (London premiere)
Brilliant Briers Keeps The Record StraightHerbert Kretzmer, Daily Express, 24 July 1975
Absent Friends
Jack Tinker, Daily Mail, 24 July 1975
Hilarious Fun About An Optimist
Eric Shorter, Daily Telegraph, 24 July 1975
The Absent Play
Felix Barker, Evening News, 24 July 1975
A Lesser Conquest
Milton Shulman, Evening Standard, 24 July 1975
Absent Friends
Michael Coveney, Financial Times, 24 July 1975
Absent Friends
Michael Billington, The Guardian, 24 July 1975
Ayckbourn On Suburban Hysteria
John Walker, International Herald Tribune, 2 August 1975
Absent Friends
The Lady, 7 August 1975
A Clutch Of Ayckbourn
John Elsom, The Listener, 31 July 1975
Fair Play
Craig Rame, New Statesman, 1 August 1975
Confronting Crisis
Robert Cushman, The Observer, 27 July 1975
Waiting For Colin
Barry Took, Punch, 30 July 1975
Different Well, Same Pitcher
Kenneth Hurren, The Spectator, 2 August 1975
Absent Friends At The Garrick
Philip Glassborow, The Stage, 31 July 1975
This Won't Get Them Cheering
Sunday Express, 27 July 1975
Tea Without Sympathy
Frank Marcus, Sunday Telegraph, 27 July 1975
Absent Friends
Sunday Times, 3 August 1975
Uneasy Partnerships
Harold Hobson, Sunday Times, 27 July 1975
Absent Friends
The Times, 19 April 1976
Tea Without Sympathy
Irving Wardle, The Times, 24 July 1975
Semi Detached Struggle For Survival
John Peter, Times Educational Supplement, 8 August 1975
Reviews (London revival 2012)
Absent FriendsSam Marlowe, theartsdesk.com, 10 February 2012
Cold Seventies Comedy Seems Frozen In Time
Simon Edge, Daily Express, 10 February 2012
Let's Drink To These Miserable Marriages
Quentin Letts, Daily Mail, 10 February 2012
You Have To Laugh At The Death Of Love
Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph, 10 February 2012
Absent Friends
Henry Hitchings, Evening Standard, 10 February 2012
Absent Friends
Sarah Hemming, Financial Times, 12 February 2012
Absent Friends
Jamie Tabberer, Gay Times (online), 10 February 2012
To Laugh or Cry? Ayckbourn Creates Havoc Out Of Good intentions
Michael Billington, The Guardian, 10 February 2012
Absent Friends
Paul Taylor, The Independent, 10 February 2012
Absent Friends
Kate Bassett, Independent On Sunday, 12 February 2012
In London, Unhappiness And Foul Weather Make For Great Theater
Matt Wolf, International Herald Tribune, 21 February 2012
Absent Friends
Georgina Brown, Mail On Sunday, 19 February 2012
Absent Friends
Kate Kellaway, The Observer, 19 February 2012
Absent Friends
Nicholas Hamilton, The Stage (online), 10 February 2012
A Comic Ending
Tim Walker, Sunday Telegraph, 12 February 2012
Still The Best of Mates
Christopher Hart, Sunday Times, 12 February 2012
Absent Friends
Caroline McGinn, Time Out, 10 February 2012
Absent Friends
Libby Purves, The Times, 13 February 2012
Critic's Choice
Libby Purves, The Times, 18 February 2012
Absent Friends
David Benedict, Variety, 14 February 2012
Absent Friends
Michael Coveney, whatsonstage.com, 10 February 2012
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.