Alan Ayckbourn Essays

  • A Comparison of the Performance of Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn

    517 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Comparison of the Performance of Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn We performed Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn on 28th November 2002. Since it is divided into five short plays which all relate to each other, separate groups performed different plays, or scenes. My group used the scene "A Talk in the Park" as our performance piece. I will be comparing this scene to "A View from the Bridge", written by Arthur Miller, and the television soap "Eastenders". "A Talk in the Park" illustrates the comedy

  • Form and Structure of Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn

    1249 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

  • Ayckbourn's Short Plays and Themes of Isolation and Loneliness

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ayckbourn's Short Plays and Themes of Isolation and Loneliness Isolation and loneliness are common themes in three of Ayckbourn's short plays. It appears, in varying degrees within MF, DC and TP but always is a problem/theme inside each play. MF starts off with on the first page with a strong image of Lucy being isolated from the world outside., "she lifts the receiver then replaces it immediately" and "the door chimes again. Lucy ignores these". Lucy is isolating herself from people at

  • Humor is Derived from a Deviation For What is Considered Human

    1550 Words  | 4 Pages

    examination of Bergson’s “Laughter” and using examples from Alan Ayckbourn’s Absurd Person Singular and Lady Gregory’s Spreading the News, humour is derived from a deviation from what is considered ‘human’ and is heavily dependent on performance skills. This will point the way toward a more astute comic emb... ... middle of paper ... ...on’s Laughter helps to point the way towards a more astute embodiment of dramatic text. Works Cited Ayckbourn, Alan. Absurd Person Singular in Three Plays. New York:

  • Alan Ayckbourn’s Concerns in Gosforth’s Fete and How He Achieves Them

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alan Ayckbourn’s Concerns in Gosforth’s Fete and How He Achieves Them “Gosforth’s Fete” is the fourth play in a collection called “Confusions”. The collection consists of five plays which are loosely linked and bring out various issues and concerns. All five of the plays share a common concern: relationship breakdown. The plays were set and written in 1977 by Alan Ayckbourn, one of the most creative and productive writers in England at the time, having written on average, one full-length

  • Comparing The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Drinking Companion, Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    Miller and Drinking Companion, Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn My drama class was split into four groups and each group was given a selected scene or part from The Crucible to rehearse and act for one piece of coursework. My group was given the end of act four and the ending of the play. I was to play Proctor and had to think hard about how to portray him in the section, as it was a crucial part in the play.* We were given Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn, a play to read and compare with the section

  • Alan Alexander Milne ( A. A. Milne)

    1627 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alan Alexander Milne ( A. A. Milne) When reminiscing on past memories of favorite books, cartoons, songs and stuffed animals, many people will think about Winnie the Pooh. The man behind all of your fun filled childhood adventured with Christopher Robin and his bear friend Pooh is Alan Alexander Milne, more commonly known as A. A. Milne. Besides his creation of Winnie the Pooh short story and poetry books he was a very accomplished man through out his whole life. He showed great affection to

  • Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton is a novel inspired by the industrial revolution. Paton describes in detail the conditions in which the Africans were living during this time period, 1946. This story tells about a Zulu pastor who goes into the city in search of his son and siblings who left in search of a better life. The pastor sees this immense city where a ruling white group is oppressing the black population. This novel is more than just a story, but it depicts the effects imperialism and

  • Attila The Hun: One Of Historys Great Leaders

    2503 Words  | 6 Pages

    Barbarian is defined as, "a rude, coarse or brutal person"(Funk & Wagnalls 50). When one hears the name, Attila the Hun, one tends to think of him in such a negative way. Contrary to this popular belief, Attila the Hun was not a barbarian, but one of history's great leaders. The Hun kingdom was in modern-day Hungry. The Huns were a Turkish-speaking nomadic people. Attila and his brother Belda succeeded their uncle as leaders of the Huns in 434 A.D. Attila was in the junior role, until his brother's

  • Alan Cromer’s Connected Knowledge

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alan Cromer’s Connected Knowledge A prospective reader casually thumbing through the pages of Alan Cromer’s Connected Knowledge: Science, Philosophy, and Education, would probably expect the book to explore how science and the philosophy of science should inform educational practices and pedagogy. Indeed such an exploration takes place, but the reader might be surprised to find that it is in the form of a vehement crusade Cromer wages against constructivism with science and a scientific habit

  • Attila the Hun

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    Attila the Hun Although he reigned no more than 20 years as king of the Huns, the image of Attila in history and in the popular imagination is based upon two aggressive military campaigns in the last two years of his life which threatened to dramatically redirect the development of Western Europe. Attila and his brother succeeded their uncle as leaders of the Huns in 434, with Attila in the junior position until his brother’s death 12 years later. History has it that Attila killed him or

  • Homeboyz by Alan Sitomer

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alan Sitomer’s newest fast paced novel Homeboyz is a hardcore suspense story that will immediately put readers on the edge and leave them breathless in the end. Sitomer’s character, Teddy ‘T-Bear’ Anderson is an aloof seventeen year old that doesn’t care for anything other than to avenge his innocent fourteen year old sister Tina’s death, by targeting the infamous gang members of his city. As Teddy’s family mourns and his mother falls into a deep depression, his father Mr. Anderson, also known as

  • Alan Freed:History Of Rock Music

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alan Freed Alan Freed was born December 16, 1922 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He was considered the most the most famous Disc Jockey(DJ) in rock 'n roll history, however, controversy encircled the man and he recieved lots of criticism especially from white adults during his career. I think that Alan Freed greatly helped shape the sound of music today and further advanced the progression of rock music. He is the person who coined the term "Rock & Roll" and also put up with a lot of nonsense regarding

  • Alan Bennett's A Cream Cracker Under the Settee

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alan Bennett's A Cream Cracker Under the Settee How does Alan Bennett reveal Doris’ character, life and attitude in the dramatic monologue “a cream cracker under the settee”? Many of Bennett's characters are unfortunate and downtrodden, as in the Talking Heads series of monologues that was first performed at the Comedy Theatre in London in 1992, and then transferred to television. This was a sextet of poignantly comic pieces, each of which portrayed several stages in the character's decline

  • alan turing

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alan Turning Alan Turning is known to be a pioneer of many facets of the computer age. The digital computer, artificial intelligence, memory subroutines, the Turning Machine, the Turing Test, and the application of algorithms to computers are all ideas somehow related to this man. Alan Mathison Turing was born in Paddington, London, on June 23, 1912. He was a precocious child and began his interests in science and mathematics at a young age, but was never concerned about other right-brain classes

  • Isolated and Marginalized Characters of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads

    1623 Words  | 4 Pages

    Isolated and Marginalized Characters of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads All the pieces in Alan Bennett’s collection deal in some way with people who are isolated or marginalized, either because of circumstances or because of their own idiosyncrasies. Every character is, in some way inadequate. Graham is a mother's boy, whose dubious sexuality seems to have caused him severe mental stress. Susan, the vicar's wife, is an alcoholic woman, trapped in a loveless marriage, whose caustic intolerance of

  • Alan Turing

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    Biography: Alan Mathison Turing Alan Mathison Turing was surrounded by enigma, not only did he break many cryptic codes but he also lived a mysterious life. Turing was born on June 23, 1912 in Paddington, London to Julius Mathison and Ethel Sara Turing. Turing’s father, Julius, was an officer in the British administration in India when he decided that his son would be raised in England. Turing had an older brother named John, who also had a childhood determined by the demands of the class

  • Rorschach In Alan Moore's The Watchmen

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the character Rorshach, The Watchmen explores the issues of nature verses nurture for him. Moore adds that a super hero, can be a psychological argument. A super hero is neither born nor shaped by environment, it is the creation of an alter ego to suppress childhood conflicting inner issues. Rorshach dealt with issues as a young child that rationalized in his mind to hide behind a costume and a mask in order to live. The first character the book introduces to the reader to is Rorschach

  • Alan Turning: A Sad Mystery

    1970 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alan Turning: A Sad Mystery “The original question, ‘Can machines think?’ I believe to be too meaningless to deserve discussion. Nevertheless I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted…. The popular view that scientists proceed inexorably from well-established fact to well-established fact, never being influenced by any improved conjecture

  • George Bush vs. John Kerry

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    For the 2004 presidential election, Republican president George W. Bush is attempting to defend his post and reassure the American people that his political choices are the best for our country. His opponent, Democratic senator John Kerry believes that his political ideas will be better for a changing America. Four main topics debated on by the candidates are: Homeland Security, Civil Rights, Education (no child left behind), and the Economy. The two candidates have differing views on most of these