Time and Time Again is Alan Ayckbourn’s eleventh play – out of at least ninety-one published works – written in 1971 and first staged, in the round, at Scarborough that summer.
The plot concerns an ambivalent school teacher, Leonard (Pete Ashmore), who disrupts four lives owing to his apathy and the attentions of a woman who is attracted to him, but is already engaged to someone else and also lusted after by a third man.
As Graham, the ‘third’ man, says in the play: “That man (Leonard) has systematically destroyed everyone he’s touched. He’s turned Peter into a sullen lout, a nice girl like Joan into someone who’s no better than she should be and me into a laughing stock.”
When first performed, critics saw Time and Time Again as a move away from light comedy into something darker and more substantial, though it is very amusing and is Ayckbourn’s first play in which he has water on stage, in this case a small pond which is used for paddling! In fact, Andy Newell’s superb set is one reason for seeing this play, containing, as it does, the edge of the village cricket ground and Graham and Anne’s house, conservatory and garden.
But the superlatives do not end with the set, as the play has been directed by someone who understands how to get the most out of the rhythm and language of an Ayckbourn play, Ben Roddy. It is cleverly paced so that the play speaks for itself, without having the weight of a heavy directorial hand to slow it down. Moments of both humour and poignancy are cleverly staged to achieve their maximum effect, and there is never a dull moment throughout as we follow the shenanigans of the five protagonists.
Pete Ashmore’s portrayal of Leonard is very believable: he is just so vague, but never larger than life, and we easily believe that Joan falls in love with him because he elicits her sympathy without even trying, and she wants to ‘mother’ him! Tanya-Loretta Dee nicely underplays this role: we have all met girls like her, as with all Ayckbourn characters! Her fiancé, Peter (Simon Pothecary): slim, perhaps ex-public school, is a complete contrast to Leonard, being unable to control his temper, but at the same time coming over as a very weak person. Graham, for whom Peter works, spends much of the time lusting after Joan, even though he receives no encouragement at all, even though he is “happily” married to Anne. In fact, he is boring – the sort we all try to avoid at any cost – and Phil Stewart is very amusing in this role, as is Katy Dean in the role of Anne, his wife. In fact, this is an excellent ensemble cast who obviously enjoy working with each other.
I cannot recommend this ‘mid-scale’ tour too highly. Ayckbourn’s fifty-five-year-old play comes over as still highly relevant, amusing, poignant and not at all dated.
After Eastbourne, it is touring to Crewe and Swindon and is well worth travelling miles to see, whether or not you have seen it before. I have used the word previously, but have no apologies in recommending this revival very highly, and saying that it is superb: deserving to be seen much more widely!
Review by John Groves
Leonard, a quiet, socially awkward man lives with his delightful sister Anna and her not so delightful husband Graham. Meanwhile, Leonard pursues Joan, trying to wrestle her affection away from her sports mad fiancé Peter.
With Sunday league football, village cricket, a generous helping of Battenburg cake, and of course, inevitable misunderstanding and mistaken identities, Time and Time Again is Ayckbourn at his hilarious best. This is an unmissable opportunity to see this Ayckbourn masterpiece.
TIME AND TIME AGAIN
Devonshire Park Theatre, 28 July to 1 August 2026
Tour continues to 22 August 2026
