Articles by Alan Ayckbourn

These notes about Henceforward… were written by Alan Ayckbourn in response to enquiries about the play.

The Inspiration Behind Henceforward…

I wanted to write about the nature of the ‘creative’ artist and his / her tendency to take from life - often very personal life - in pursuit of their art. Watching most creative writers at work is akin to watching paint drying; certainly not a dramatic experience. As a result, the idea of using the new musical technology occurred to me - sampling and instantly arranging.

The play is also, of course, a slight retelling of the Pygmalion myth and how we try to manipulate each other.

Once I had the theme it made sense to move forward a year or so to accommodate the new music technology. Then when I had the idea for the deranged robotics I knew I definitely had to move forward.

Science Fiction doesn’t have to be Star Wars scale. It can be very simple. Some of the very best stories are the simplest.

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