Alan Ayckbourn's Official Website

Significant Productions

This page contains details of significant productions of Alan Ayckbourn's How The Other Half Loves, such as the world and London premieres as well as Ayckbourn-directed revivals. It is not a complete list of productions given how frequently it has been performed by professionals and amateur companies around the world.

World Premiere (1969)

First Performance: 31 July 1969 | World premiere: 31 July 1969 | Final performance: 13 September 1969
Venue: Theatre In The Round At The Library Theatre, Scarborough
Staging: Round

Director: Alan Ayckbourn | Lighting: Peter Boden

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Jeremy Franklin | Teresa Phillips: Stephanie Turner | Fiona Foster: Elisabeth Sladen | Bob Phillips: Colin Edwynn | William Featherstone: Brian Miller | Mary Featherstone: Elizabeth Ashton

Pre-London Try-Out (1970)

Premiere: 19 March 1970
Venue: Phoenix Theatre, Leicester
Staging: End-stage

Director: Robin Midgley | Design: Franco Colavecchia | Producer: Peter Bridge

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Hugh Paddick | Teresa Phillips: Sheila Steafel | Fiona Foster: Anna Barry | Bob Phillips: Stephen MacDonald | William Featherstone: Roy Macready | Mary Featherstone: Hilda Braid

London Premiere (1970)

First Performance: 5 August 1970 | Premiere: 5 August 1970 (TBC) | Final performance: 30 September 1972
Venue: Lyric Theatre
Staging: End-stage

Director: Robin Midgley | Design: Alan Tagg | Lighting: John B. Read | Producers: Peter Bridge, Eddie Kulukundis

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Robert Morley | Teresa Phillips: Heather Sears | Fiona Foster: Joan Tetzel | Bob Phillips: Donald Burton | William Featherstone: Brian Miller | Mary Featherstone: Elizabeth Ashton

Note: During the course of its run, there were several cast alterations. Jan Holden took over the role of Fiona Foster (probably in 1971) with Ian McCulloch and Sheila Steafel taking over the roles of Bob and Terry Phillips (probably in 1972).

Broadway Premiere (1971)

Note: This production featured an 'Americanised' version of the text, adapted by Gene Saks and Alan Ayckbourn. One of the alterations included changing the surname of the Featherstones to the Detweilers.

Tour (1973)

First Performance: 13 March 1973
Venue: Theatre Royal Windsor
Staging: End-stage

Director: Hugh Goldie | Design: Richard Berry | Lighting: Jane Laws | Producer: Bill Kenwright

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Derek Bond | Teresa Phillips: Paula Wilcox | Fiona Foster: Miriam Karlin | Bob Phillips: Ray Lonnen | William Featherstone: Derek Seaton | Mary Featherstone: Sue Nicholls

Revival (1976)

First Performance: 5 April 1976
Venue: Wimbledon Theatre (The Actors Company)
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Strachan | Design: Robin Archer| Lighting: Brian Harris

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Moray Watson | Teresa Phillips: Stephanie Turner | Fiona Foster: Barbara Murray | Bob Phillips: Neil Stacy | William Featherstone: Simon Cadell | Mary Featherstone: Helen Cotterill

Revival (1988)

First Performance: 8 February 1988 | Final performance: 9 March 1988
Venue: Greenwich Theatre, London
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Strachan | Design: Michael Pavelka | Lighting: Mick Hughes

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Christopher Benjamin | Teresa Phillips: Louisa Rix | Fiona Foster: Gabrielle Drake | Bob Phillips: Stuart Organ | William Featherstone: Richard Kane | Mary Featherstone: Lavinia Bertram

London Revival (1988)

First Performance: 14 June 1988 | Final performance: 26 November 1988
Venue: Duke of York's Theatre
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Strachan | Design: Michael Pavelka | Lighting: Mick Hughes

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Christopher Benjamin | Teresa Phillips: Louisa Rix | Fiona Foster: Gabrielle Drake | Bob Phillips: Stuart Organ | William Featherstone: Richard Kane | Mary Featherstone: Lavinia Bertram

Tour (1998)

First Performance: 16 November 1998
Venue: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Strachan | Design: Julian Saxton | Lighting: Leonard Tucker | Sound: Dan Last

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Anton Rodgers | Teresa Phillips: Dariel Pertwee | Fiona Foster: Angela Thorne | Bob Phillips: Michael Lumsden | William Featherstone: Paul Raffield | Mary Featherstone: Suzy Aitchison

Revival (2007)

First Performance: 7 August 2007
Venue: Theatre Royal, Bath (The Peter Hall Company)
Staging: End-stage

Director: Alan Strachan | Design: Paul Farnsworth | Lighting: Jason Taylor

The Company (character in bold)
Frank Foster: Nicholas le Provost | Teresa Phillips: Amanda Royle | Fiona Foster: Marsha Fitzalan | Bob Phillips: Richard Stacey | William Featherstone: Paul Kemp | Mary Featherstone: Claudia Elmhirst

Revival (2009)

London Revival (2016)

London Transfer (2016)

Tour (2017)

London Revival (2026)

Note: This marked the first time an in-the-round of How The Other Half Loves had been produced in the West End - finally presenting the play in London as originally conceived and performed more than 55 years after its world premiere.

All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.