16th MASTER PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS ALAN

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16th MASTER PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL
HIGHLIGHTS ALAN AYCKBOURN
AyckbournFest launches today, runs until February 21
WINNIPEG, February 3, 2016 – More than 10 partner companies have banded together to honour prolific British
playwright Alan Ayckbourn, whose extensive body of work is celebrated in the 2016 MASTER PLAYWRIGHT
FESTIVAL.
A legend of West End theatre, Alan Ayckbourn has written and produced more than 70 full-length plays that have
appeared on London’s most prestigious stages. Hilarious and entertaining, Ayckbourn’s work is riddled with comical
commentary on marriage, social status and the woes of the British lower-middle class. AYCKBOURNFEST takes a
closer look at his career in theatre which has spanned several decades and earned more than 35 awards – including
two Oliviers, two Molières and a Tony.
AYCKBOURNFEST kicks off tonight at 6pm with a free introductory lecture by Dr. Margaret Groome at the King’s
Head Pub, which discusses the themes and ideas that have influenced Ayckbourn’s work.
The festival also features stagings of the playwright’s full-length works, readings of his plays and a Directors’ Panel
with Jessina Cheffins (How the Other Half Loves, Tara Players), Heather Forgie (Relatively Speaking, R-G
Productions), Jeff Madden (Improbable Fiction, Winnipeg Mennonite Theatre), Ray Strachan (A Strange Pair, Echo
Theatre) and Kent Suss (This Is Where We Came In, MTYP Young Company).
To maximize your festival experience, purchase an AYCKBOURNPASS for only $85. A pass allows one admission to
each performance at a savings of 50%. To purchase a festival pass, contact the Royal MTC Box Office at 204 942
6537 (toll free at 1 877 446 4500) or visit us in person at 174 Market Ave. For more information on the productions
or how to purchase tickets from participating companies, visit www.royalmtc.ca/mpf.
The performing companies would like to thank Canadian Heritage, Winnipeg Free Press, Relish New Brand
Experience, Vantage Studios & Print Shop, the Fairmont Winnipeg and The King’s Head Pub for their generous
support of the 2016 Master Playwright Festival.
About Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s Master Playwright Festival
in 2001, Royal MTC chose to honour Samuel Beckett at the first Master Playwright Festival. The winter festival
provides opportunities for both professional and emerging artists from a variety of organizations to produce work
under the umbrella of a larger festival, while giving audiences an opportunity to thoroughly immerse themselves in the
work of a playwright who may not have a regular home on Winnipeg stages.
-30For more information, please contact:
Hayley Brigg, Publicist
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
204 934 0302
hbrigg@royalmtc.ca | www.royalmtc.ca
AYCKBOURNFEST 2016 is proudly presented by: