Researching Alan Ayckbourn: The Borthwick Institute for Archives

The University of York acquired The Ayckbourn Archive in June 2011 and it is held in the Borthwick Institute For Archives at York.

The Ayckbourn Archive comprises the playwright's personal archive and includes thousands of pages of material relating to the entirety of his professional career including the original manuscripts for his earliest plays and his handwritten drafts for many of his classic works, as well as voluminous correspondence with many key figures in British theatre since the 1960s.
The archive is the most substantive collection of material relating to Alan Ayckbourn held anywhere in the world. The list below includes a broad outline of material held in the Ayckbourn Archive, but more details can be found on the Borthwick's website.

○ A complete collection of original Alan Ayckbourn's play-scripts including withdrawn plays from 1958 until 2005 (further accruals expected during 2020).
○ Handwritten draft manuscripts and notes for many of Alan Ayckbourn's plays between 1970 and 1984.
○ Correspondence relating to Alan Ayckbourn's professional career and his plays between 1963 and 2006; major correspondents include Margaret Ramsay, Peter Hall and Michael Codron (further accruals expected during 2020).
○ Press cuttings relating to Alan Ayckbourn's plays as well as his career as actor, director and Artistic Director of the Stephen Joseph theatre, Scarborough, as well as general related press cuttings.
○ Photographs of productions of Alan Ayckbourn's plays between 1959 and 2006.
○ Photographs and portraits of Alan Ayckbourn from throughout his professional career.
○ Programmes of Alan Ayckbourn's relating to the world premieres, London premieres, revivals directed by Alan Ayckbourn as well as general productions of his plays from around the world since the 1960s.
○ Posters of Alan Ayckbourn's plays from around the world.
○ Other material relating to the career of Sir Alan Ayckbourn between 1955 and 2006 (further accruals expected during 2020).

This list is not comprehensive and further enquiries should be directed to the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York.

Further details can be found here or in the links to the right.