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 Plays pp.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, ISBN 0241896282
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 Conquest Sydney 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 Comedy Eric 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 Straight Herbert 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 Friends Sam 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.

Further Reading

Published Editions

Reference Books

Articles

Reviews (world premiere)

Reviews (London premiere)

Reviews (London revival 2012)