UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) presented playwright and director Sir Alan Ayckbourn with the ABTT Stephen Joseph Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his ‘extraordinary contributions to theatre-in-the-round and his enduring impact on British theatre’.
The presentation took place at the Stephen Joseph Theatre (SJT) in Scarborough on 28 September, following a rehearsed reading of Ayckbourn’s play Relatively Speaking. This year marks the 70th anniversary of professional theatre-in-the-round - a movement Sir Alan has championed throughout his remarkable career.
The award was established by the ABTT’s Stephen Joseph Committee (SJC) to commemorate the legacy of Stephen Joseph - a founding member of the ABTT and one of the foremost pioneers of theatre-in-the-round in the UK. The honour is awarded to individuals who, like Joseph, have made lifelong, groundbreaking contributions to theatre practice and innovation.
Sir Alan was presented with a bespoke bronze miniature theatre-in-the-round trophy, inspired by an original sketch by Stephen Joseph and designed by SJC member Andrew Sanders, along with a formal certificate of achievement. Sir Alan Ayckbourn said: “This Award means a lot to me, having spent a good portion of my life trying to spread Stephen’s passion for innovative, practical theatre buildings - in other words building theatres that actually work!”
Over his career, Sir Alan Ayckbourn has not only acted major parts for the Theatre in the Round Company but directed over 300 productions in-the-round, written 91 plays - almost all of which have premiered in-the-round - served as artistic director of the SJT for 36 years and helped to guide the SJT through several key transitions, including the move into its current space, a remodelled 1936 Odeon cinema which is a blend of Art Deco heritage and modern performance space.
Bob Millington, ABTT Stephen Joseph chairman who presented the award added: “At anniversaries like this, it is usually Sir Alan who stands before us - telling the story of Stephen Joseph and the pioneering work that shaped modern theatre-in-the-round. But today, we turn the spotlight where it so rightly belongs and ask the world’s leading practitioner of theatre-in-the-round to take the bow himself.”