Presented by Next Stage Theatre Company
Wednesday 6th - Saturday 9th May 2026.
Greg is in love with Ginny, but who keeps sending her bouquets of flowers? Greg wants to marry Ginny, but who is sending her lavish gifts? And whose slippers are under her bed? Ginny is planning to spend Sunday at her parents but appears to have forgotten their address. Ginny does not want Greg to accompany her, but he thinks it might be a good idea to meet the parents anyway. Philip and Sheila are enjoying breakfast in the garden. Philip would like to know who keeps sending his wife letters on a Sunday. Sheila would like to know what Philip is doing when he spends so much time away from home. Thus the scene is set for one of Alan Ayckbourn’s funniest plays. Written by our patron in 1965, Relatively Speaking is a funny, witty, insightful look at human foibles, frustrations, fears and fancies. Brought to the stage by Artistic Director Ann Ellison BEM with four of Next Stage Theatre Company’s best Ayckbourn actors - Mike Stevens as Philip, Hayley Fitton-Cook as Sheila, Liz Wilson as Ginny and Jonathan Taft as Greg. Tickets will sell fast. Don’t leave it too late to get yours!
Rehearsal Photos
Review
Relatively Speaking by Alan Ayckbourn
A trip to The Mission Theatre is never to be resisted, especially if an Alan Ayckbourn play is involved. The personal connection of one of our greatest living playwrights to this gorgeous theatre adds an extra layer of excitement to the evening.
I've been a fan since watching my brother in a school production of Gosforth's Fete, I've directed two (A Chorus of Disapproval and Life of Riley) and watched many others, but this one has until now escaped me. Funnily enough, this play is referenced in Life of Riley as the plot involves some of the characters putting on Relatively Speaking, so I feel as if I already have a good reason to be here to join the dramatic dots. Theatre in the round is the specialty of The Mission, and this is perfect for Ayckbourn who designed his material to be performed in this way.
The attention to detail in the set design is everything we've come to expect from Next Stage. I loved Ginny's London bedsit flat, but the garden was the stand-out set ("Ayckbourn and the power of gardens as a dramatic setting" -discuss) complete with the lightest of touches from Kris Nuttall and Andy Punt (leaves on the lawn, birdsong and a gobo effect) to enhance the effect. I particularly liked the 1960s music vibe, placing it squarely in the era in which it was written, signalling the changing attitudes toward relationships and sexuality and the power dynamic between men and women.
Not his first play, but an early one that put him on the map, Relatively Speaking gives us Ayckbourn at his best capturing middle-class coupledom with all its attendant relationship issues. It has the technical challenges that are his trademark, carefully maneuvering the cast on and off to maintain the narrative confusion in the manner of a farce without the opening and closing of doors or the dropping of trousers. The joy of farce lies in the audience understanding that characters telling the truth and clearing up any misunderstandings would end the play very quickly and deprive us of the fun of watching them dig deeper holes for themselves.
This play works because of the very English idea that it would be rude to ask direct questions, leaving us a wonderful comedy of manners full of awkward silences and small talk. It was clear that the cast, under the direction of Ann Ellison (supported by the steady hand of Andrew Ellison as stage manager), were very much up to the task.
Liz Wilson was excellent as the liberated young swinging-London Ginny, living on her own terms in her flat, but very much unseated when at the home of her married lover to break off the relationship only to discover that her boyfriend Greg is already there under the impression that it is her parents' house. Jonathan Taft was the perfect Greg, possibly the only decent character in the play; well-meaning, as yet uncorrupted and disillusioned by life, and ready to take a chance on love. Phillip was brought to life beautifully by Mike Stevens with shifty mannerisms and a passive-aggressive tone that encapsulated a man who has his cake and enjoys eating it, keen to prolong the affair with Ginny by underhand means if necessary. But my Man (or rather Woman) of the moment has to be Hayley Fitton-Cook and her portrayal of Sheila. She moved seamlessly between polite bafflement and well-worn annoyance, and her handling of the genteel conversation to mask the confusion and giving as good as she gets to her grumpy husband was a joy to behold. It was only fitting that she got the final line, turning the whole play on its head.
Fans of Ayckbourn and those new to his repertoire will thoroughly enjoy this production. It might not be the same as a dirty weekend or even a dirty great lifetime, but it will be a wonderful night at the theatre that will keep you laughing long after the final applause. Don't miss it.
