| Joking Apart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Written by | Alan Ayckbourn | ||
| Characters | Richard Anthea Hugh Louise Sven Olive Brian Melody / Mandy / Mo / Debbie | ||
| Date premiered | 11 January 1978 | ||
| Place premiered | Stephen Joseph Theatre | ||
| Original language | English | ||
| Setting | Four parties over 12 years | ||
| Alan Ayckbourn chronology | |||
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Joking Apart is a 1978 play by English playwright Alan Ayckbourn.
Written in response to comments that Ayckbourn only ever wrote about unhappy couples, the play follows Richard and Anthea, a perfect and happily married couple who inadvertently worsen the lives of the couples they have befriended over the course of 12 years: Hugh and Louise, Sven and Olive, and Brian and his seemingly never-ending stream of unsteady girlfriends (Melody, Mandy, Mo, and Debbie). In most productions, Brian's girlfriends are portrayed by the same actress, with characters commenting on their similar physical appearances.
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Life of Riley is a 2014 French comedy-drama film directed by Alain Resnais in his final feature film before his death. Adapted from the play Life of Riley by Alan Ayckbourn, the film had its premiere in the competition section of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival, just three weeks before Resnais died, where it won the Alfred Bauer Prize.
Rules for Living is a dark comedy about family dysfunction and societal norms by Sam Holcroft. Holcroft explores coping with family dynamics and social constructs that limit behaviors through cognitive therapy. The play follows a family preparing for Christmas lunch and tensions begin to rise as they deal with family issues. Each movement, gesture, or voice is dictated over by the play's set of "rules" which the actors must follow to function correctly in Holcroft's world.