Early in his career, the playwright Alan Ayckbourn wrote two children’s plays for Christmas, Dad’s Tale and Christmas V Mastermind. He now considers them the ‘black sheep’ of his play canon!

For the latest SpotLight on Ayckbourn video on the Ayckbourn YouTube Channel, the playwright’s Archivist, Simon Murgatroyd, goes back to 1960 and 1962 to shed some light on these two plays which were never produced again, never published and have long since been withdrawn.

Discover the story of Alan’s first – and only – attempt to write ballets and what is probably the only play ever written about industrial action in Santa’s workshop. Obscure and long forgotten, this is the story of Alan Ayckbourn’s early Christmas plays.

SpotLight on Ayckbourn: The Early Christmas Plays is researched, written and presented by Simon Murgatroyd M.A. It is a SiMo production in association with Haydonning Ltd.

To view the SpotLight on Ayckbourn, click on. the video below or visit the Ayckbourn YouTube Channel by clicking here.