An Ayckbourn Zacharanda

On a summery Sunday afternoon, with Royal & Derngate's foyer decked out with bunting like a garden fete, members of the show biz world - including Robert Powell and Richard Briers - mingled with Northampton theatre-goers, to celebrate the 70th birthday of playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn and launch the start of the theatre's three-month long Ayckbourn at 70 season at a Festival Gala performance.

A number of special guests took to the Royal stage to share their thoughts about Alan. Robert Powell, perhaps most remembered for his role as Jesus of Nazareth, and currently appearing in Holby City, said: "We're great friends - I see him at all his opening nights. I'm always invited because I've got a loud laugh!" Richard Briers, still best known for BBC sitcom The Good Life, wished Alan all the best for the future, saying: "I can't really believe that Alan is 70. I hope you live to be 100, having just completed your 100th play!"

[This is a Sid bit, which seems appropriate here - Lucy Briers, Richard's daughter, appears in the first play of the season, in a rather nice tie-up, as Briers pater did a brilliant job in its noted television premiere way back when and has been a noted Ayckbournist over the years. Back to the Zacharanda.]

In this afternoon of entertainment, played on the set of Just Between Ourselves (the first of the plays being presented in Royal & Derngate's Ayckbourn season), the audience enjoyed extracts from some of the plays that Sir Alan has written over the last ten years, including House and Garden, the Damsels in Distress trilogy (FlatSpin, RolePlay and GamePlan), Sugar Daddies and Improbable Fiction.

The actors included Stephen Beckett, best known as Dr Matt Ramsden from Coronation Street and PC Mike Jarvis from The Bill, who performed in an extract from Drowning on Dry Land, and Anna Francolini, who recently played Jean Brodie at Royal & Derngate, performed songs from one of Alan's most recent shows Awaking Beauty, with co-writer Denis King at the keyboard.

Members of Royal & Derngate's talented Youth Theatre also performed a musical number from Orvin - Champion of Champions, a show which they will be presenting later this summer as part of the festival.

The gala performance came to a close with Alan joining the performers on stage as a birthday cake, designed by Jane Asher's cake shop, with the titles of all Alan's plays iced on to it, was brought on stage, ablaze with candles and sparklers.

With the air of an indoor garden party, the guests, performers and audiences all enjoyed sandwiches, cakes and sparkling wine after the show. The ladies of Northamptonshire Country Market baked 400 cupcakes for the occasion, while Carlsberg donated the wine, and the Wyevale Garden Centre, Harlestone, loaned plants to decorate the venue, all adding to the wonderful atmosphere of celebration.

To find out more about the productions and events taking place throughout the summer as part of Royal & Derngate's Ayckbourn at 70 festival, visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811.

You might also be interested (this is Sid) in www.googleeye.co.uk. A review of Just Beteween Ourselves will be posted later if I can find somewhere to cut and paste it from - no, not really boss, just kidding, I'm expecting you to come up with the usual fee for my efforts ...