No Strapline

Better Off Dead

Thursday 11 October–Saturday 27 October 2018

Written and directed by Alan Ayckbourn

Larger than life and highly irascible author Algy Waterbridge is hard at work on his 33rd crime novel featuring blunt Yorkshire cop DCI Tommy Middlebrass. But it’s been a while since Tommy was on the TV, Algy’s wife is getting frighteningly forgetful and his adoring PA sometimes oversteps the mark. With constant interruptions, it’s almost the last straw when old acquaintance Gus Crewe turns up to interview him for the press, with alarming consequences.

But as Algy’s fictional characters take over and real people introduce themselves into the dramatic climax of his novel, the lines become blurred and it might just be that fiction, misunderstandings and mistaken identity are closer to the truth than they seem.

A comedy of confusion about a grumpy old man who might not be so grumpy after all.

AYCKBOURN DOUBLE-BILL
See Joking Apart and Better Off Dead for just £37 (Ask Box Office for details)

Thursday 11 October–Saturday 27 October 2018

Cast & Creatives

Photo Gallery

Image by Tony Bartholomew

Reviews

“As inspired and acute as ever…”

— The Times

“Ayckbourn’s actors form an interconnected ensemble, individually and collectively excellent…”

Clare Brennan, The Observer

“Puzzling and unfailingly entertaining …”

Ron Simpson, Reviews Hub

“Immaculately directed... a highly enjoyable experience…”

Manchester Theatre Awards

“A masterclass in comic theatre…”

On Yorkshire Magazine

“A masterclass in acting...riddled with killer lines and a sting in the tail…”

— The Scarborough News

Latest News

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