The Sparrow: Frequently Asked Questions

Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist Simon Murgatroyd's answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Alan Ayckbourn's The Sparrow. If you have a question about this or any other of Alan Ayckbourn's plays, you can contact the website via the Contact Us page.

Why isn't The Sparrow available to be performed? / Why hasn't The Sparrow been published?
Alan Ayckbourn considers his earliest plays to be his first steps as a playwright when he was learning his craft. As a result, he doesn't feel they particularly reflect the quality or standard of writing he would later achieve and do not stand up particularly well due to his inexperience as a writer. As a result, he has rarely allowed any of them to be performed again and has not published the plays.

Is it possible to read The Sparrow for research purposes?
Three original production manuscripts of The Sparrow survive and are held in the Ayckbourn Archive at the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York, The Ayckbourn Collection at Scarborough Museums and Galleries and in The Lord Chamberlain's Collection at the British Library.

How many copies of the manuscript are in existence?
Once thought to be the second rarest of Alan's plays, this situation has changed in recent years. There are at least three surviving original manuscripts of The Sparrow from the original production which means it is about on par with the majority of Alan's plays from 1959 to the mid 1970s. At least one additional manuscript is believed to be held in a private collection, which was apparently gifted to the playwright David Campton - who Alan met when he was 18 and worked with at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough. Although the provenance of this specific manuscript has not yet been established.

What does the title of The Sparrow mean, if anything?
The 'sparrow' refers to the central character of Evie within the play, a young woman who - like sparrows - seems rather ordinary and unattractive, but who, in the words of Michael Billington, is "a funny, chirpy, spark lady… who makes up in wit what she lacks in instant sex appeal." In nature, the sparrow is known for its song, but not for its appearance and Evie reflects this.

Has there been any performances of The Sparrow since 1967?
The Sparrow had a three week run at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, in 1967 and has never been revived. It has, however, had a complete reading as part of the Dick & Lottie Ayckbourn Readathon in 2014 to mark the company's tenth anniversary. The playwright gave permission for the company to do a play-reading of The Sparrow with a full company, which took place at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield. Other than excerpts having been read during Ayckbourn-related events, there has been no other complete performances of The Sparrow and the playwright is unlikely to grant permission for repeat performances in the future.

All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.