My Wonderful Day: In Brief
My Wonderful Day
Play Number: 72World Premiere: 13 October 2009
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Premiere Staging: In-the-round
Published: Samuel French
Other Media: No
Cast: 2m / 4f
Run Time: 1hr 45m
Synopsis: A day in the life of nine year old Winnie Barnstairs, quietly observing the traumas of the adults around her during a day off school.
- My Wonderful Day is Alan Ayckbourn's 73rd play.
- The world premiere - directed by Alan Ayckbourn - was held at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, on 13 October 2009.
- My Wonderful Day was the first new Ayckbourn play to be premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, after Alan Ayckbourn had stepped down as Artistic Director of the venue earlier in the year. From this point forward, Alan Ayckbourn became a guest director at the theatre.
- The play was officially announced to the company at the Stephen Joseph Theatre on 27 March 2009 during an informal event to mark him stepping down as Artistic Director.
- The character of Winnie Barnstairs was originally conceived for an entirely different, unwritten play called Life Of Riley (which, confusingly, is not the same play as the one he eventually did write with that title). She was a minor 11 year old character studying French.
- My Wonderful Day is the first play written by Alan Ayckbourn with roles specifically for black actors; the roles of Laverne and her daughter Winnie are described as second and third generation Afro-Caribbeans from South London.
- The play was officially announced by Alan Ayckbourn with the title Winnie's Wonderful Day. This was later altered to My Wonderful Day as it was felt the original title may have suggested it was one of the playwright's 'family' plays.
- The play features a composite set (several locations on one stage at all times). Other Ayckbourn plays to feature composite sets include How The Other Half Loves, Bedroom Farce, Taking Steps, If I Were You, Private Fears In Public Places and Life Of Riley.
- My Wonderful Day is one of a number of full-length Ayckbourn play to have been directed in New York by the playwright himself. The other plays are Arrivals & Departures, Bedroom Farce (co-directed with Peter Hall); A Brief History of Women, By Jeeves, Intimate Exchanges, Neighbourhood Watch, Private Fears In Public Places, Time Of My Life, Confusions and Hero's Welcome.
- The New York transfer of the play was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play with Ayesha Antoine nominated as Outstanding Actress. She would later win the 2010 TMA Award for Best Supporting Actress.
- Although published as a play text by Samuel French, My Wonderful Day was also published in the collection Alan Ayckbourn: Plays 5 (Faber).