Form and Structure of Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn

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Form and Structure of Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn

Plays are usually divided into acts and scenes. However in Absurd

Person Singular we can clearly see three acts although there is

evidently one scene in each act which in itself is a continuous

sequence of events. Playwrights often have parallel scenes at

different points in a play, or juxtapose two very different scenes to

make a point. However Alan Ayckbourn juxtaposes the acts by having

each act as the consecutive year therefore highlighting the change

that we see. I find that Alan Ayckbourn has two or three plot lines

going at once, and he uses the sub-plots to illuminate the main plot.

The play is a farce with comical acts however he maintains to

incorporate the serious undertones.

The structure of the play is distinctively unique; it is not a one way

play as each act is a story in its own right linked by past, present

and future. The play also doesn't have a conclusion which illustrates

Ayckbourns suggestion that comedy doesn't need a happy ending, just

like real life doesn't.

The form and structure of the play is the way in which Ayckbourn has

decided to put across his intentions to the audience. Everything he

does in the play has an intended reason and is for a specific meaning.

Form and structure and normally generalized depending on the certain

genre however I find Absurd Person Singular individual in its own

right. Within the structure of the play, Ayckbourn uses different

forms to convey meaning. For instance by having one scene in each act

allows the play to flow keeping a fast pace and sustains our

attention.

The play runs through time in chrono...

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...uties and trying to be helpful.

Alan Ayckbourns writing is linear and realistic and he effectively

exploits the elements exclusive to theatrical art. I can clearly see

from analysing the scrip that it is domestic issues, which dominate

Ayckbourn's drama, such as insensitivity in marriage. He chooses to

illuminate social problems indirectly through dramatic presentations.

The way the playwright uses comedy and naturalistic devices to keep

the audiences attention and the situations create suspense. His

specific use of form and structure creates to unique and crucial

aspects of the play. For example, Ayckbourn introduces two characters

at a time which allows us to focus on different people consequently

continuing our curiosity and allowing the characters to be revealed

off each other and creating appealing situations.

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