Henceforward…: Articles by Alan Ayckbourn

This section includes articles by Alan Ayckbourn on Henceforward…. as well as other authors. All articles are copyright off the respective author and can be accessed through the links in the right-hand column.

This article by Alan Ayckbourn was written in 1992 and is drawn from correspondence held in the Ayckbourn Archive at the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York.

Inspirations

Articles by Alan Ayckbourn

Preface to Plays 1
Origins Of Life
Jerome
More Inspirations

Articles by Other Authors

Henceforward… & Back
What inspired me to write Henceforward…?

Well, several things. A fascination with the way the creative process can so often eclipse real life.

It is all too common for artists to plunder real life emotions, to re-use them to their own ends - sometimes at the expense of genuine emotion.

I thought it would be interesting to write a play about a man who whilst searching desperately, personally and professionally, for real love fails to recognise it from his own family.

It is a play about the creative process. And how dangerous it can be.

It's a play about the future, of course. Of one way urban life could develop (some would say in certain areas, has already developed).

It's a play about how we manipulate, or try to manipulate those we choose to live with. In this case how Jerome tries to make the Zoë robot into a perfect woman - but how unsatisfactory the result from the living breathing Zoë, faults and all.

Of our acceptance of sexual stereotypes.

Copyright: Haydonning Ltd. Please do not reproduce without permission of the copyright holder.