A Word From Our Sponsor: Frequently Asked Questions

Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist Simon Murgatroyd's answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Alan Ayckbourn's A Word From Our Sponsor. If you have a question about this or any other of Alan Ayckbourn's plays, you can contact the website via the Contact Us page.

Where can I obtain the vocal score for A Word From Our Sponsor?
The vocal score can be obtained from Concord Theatricals / Samuel French, who also license the play for amateur performance. The vocal score is available via the A Word From Our Sponsor page on the website here.

Is A Word From Our Sponsor a reflection of Alan Ayckbourn's experiences funding the building of the Stephen Joseph Theatre?
Whilst Alan admits the play could be interpreted that way, the idea for A Word From Our Sponsor was conceived at the latest in 1993; the interpretation it is a response to the SJT's situation seems predicated on its premiere in 1995 during the final year of the theatre project. It is more realistically a comment on funding of the arts in general during that period of time in the UK, when the Government was cutting subsidies to theatres and encouraging private sponsorship.

Why are there no photographs of the original production on the website?
The website endeavours to respect copyright and the wishes of artists / authors. In this case, the Stephen Joseph Theatre does not hold reproduction rights for the world premiere production of A Word From Our Sponsor and, consequently, as this website works closely with the Stephen Joseph Theatre with regard to image use, we have not reproduced production images for this play.

Is A Word From Our Sponsor available for professional production?
No. In 2023, Alan Ayckbourn confirmed that A Word From Our Sponsor had been withdrawn for professional production.

All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.