The Norman Conquests: A Timeline

The Timeline offers a chronological view of significant events in the history of The Norman Conquests trilogy; it only lists major productions and does not include the vast majority of the many professional and amateur productions of the play.

September 1972
In an interview with a journalist about Absurd Person Singular, Alan Ayckbourn - not altogether seriously - says his next project will be a trilogy.

March 1973
The journalist six months later writes a report - in a currently unidentified newspaper - noting Alan Ayckbourn's next project will be a trilogy of plays. This is news to Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, where Alan premieres his plays. Alan decides he likes the idea and challenge of a trilogy and confirms he will write it.

May 1973
Alan Ayckbourn writes The Norman Conquests (at this time though and throughout its original Scarborough production, it is referred to only as 'the trilogy' not The Norman Conquests) over the course of ten days.

18 June 1973
World premiere of Fancy Meeting You (later re-titled Table Manners) at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, directed by Alan Ayckbourn.

25 June 1973
World premiere of Make Yourself At Home (later re-titled Living Together) at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, directed by Alan Ayckbourn.

2 July 1973
World premiere of Round And Round The Garden at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, directed by Alan Ayckbourn.

August 1973
The London producer Michael Codron - apparently reluctantly - offers to produce the trilogy in London...

circa September 1973
Michael Codron withdraws his offer, citing the financial risk of producing a trilogy in London.

13 September 1973
Fancy Meeting You closes at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough.

14 September 1973
Make Yourself At Home closes at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough.

15 September 1973
Round and Round the Garden closes at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough.

24 January 1974
The Evening Standard reports the trilogy now has the title The Norman Conquests for its first London production at the Greenwich Theatre; this is the first public mention of the overarching title.

9 May 1974
The trilogy, now referred to as The Norman Conquests, opens in London at the Greenwich Theatre. Table Manners opens on 9 May, Living Together on 21 May and Round And Round The Garden on 6 June. The trilogy is directed by Eric Thompson.

29 June 1974
The Norman Conquests closes at the Greenwich Theatre prior to transfer to the West End. It marks the first time all three parts of the trilogy are performed on the same day.

1 August 1974
The Norman Conquests transfers to the Globe Theatre, London. Table Manners opens on 1 August, Living Together on 5 August and Round And Round The Garden on 8 August. The trilogy is directed by Eric Thompson and produced by Michael Codron; the producer having quietly struck a deal to underwrite the cost of the Greenwich rehearsals if he had first refusal on a West End transfer.

December 1974
The Norman Conquests wins the London Evening Standard Award for Best Play; this marks the first time Alan Ayckbourn won win for Best Play rather than Best Comedy.

1974
Alan Ayckbourn wins the Variety Club Of Great Britain Playwright Of The Year Award and
The Norman Conquests wins the Plays and Players Award for Best Play.

Circa June 1975
The Norman Conquests at the Globe Theatre is recast including Julia McKenzie taking the role of Ruth with Alan Ayckbourn directing.

10 October 1975
The Norman Conquests receives its North American premiere, prior to a Broadway transfer, at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles.

29 November 1975
The Norman Conquests closes at the Ahmanson Theatre prior to its Broadway transfer.

1 December 1975
The Norman Conquests transfers to the Apollo Theatre, London, directed by Alan Ayckbourn.

7 December 1975
The Norman Conquests opens in Broadway at the Morosco Theatre, New York, directed by Eric Thompson.

1975
Chatto & Windus publish a hardback mass market edition of the The Norman Conquests; Samuel French publishes the acting edition of The Norman Conquests.

13 March 1976
The Norman Conquests closes in London after running in the West End for more than 20 months.

19 June 1976
The Norman Conquests closes in New York.

9 August 1976
British regional theatre premiere of The Norman Conquests at the Theatre Clywd, Mold.

5 October 1977
The Norman Conquests is premiered on British television over three consecutive weeks, directed by Herbert Wise.

1978
The 1977 television adaptation of The Norman Conquests is broadcast for the first time in the USA on the PBS channel.

1978
The Norman Conquests is nominated for Outstanding Writing In A Drama Series in the 1977 - 1978 Television Academy Awards (The Emmys).

1980
The 1977 television adaptation of The Norman Conquests trilogy is released by HBO in North America.

1981
The 1977 television adaptation of
Table Manners is released on VHS video cassette in the UK; legal issues prevent the release of the complete trilogy.

30 October 1990
A BBC radio adaptation of The Norman Conquests is broadcast over three consecutive weeks, directed by Gordon House.

21 April 1993
Alan Ayckbourn revives The Norman Conquests at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough.

June 1993
The BBC releases the 1990 radio adaptation of The Norman Conquests on audio cassette.

1999
LA Theatre Works produces an audio dramatisation of The Norman Conquests, directed by Dennis Erdman.

1999
The National Theatre names The Norman Conquests as one of the 100 Plays Of The Century.

4 April 2000
The 1977 television adaptation of The Norman Conquests is released on VHS video cassette in the USA.

2006
The 1977 television adaptation of The Norman Conquests is released on DVD in the UK.

10 May 2006
Kevin Spacey, Artistic Director of the Old Vic, announces the theatre will revive The Norman Conquests presenting it in London for the first time since it closed in the West End in 1976.

11 September 2008
The Norman Conquests is revived at the Old Vic, London, directed by Matthew Warchus. The three month limited run sees the auditorium of the venue entirely altered to accommodate an in-the-round space.

20 December 2008
The Norman Conquests closes at the Old Vic, London.

2008
Production of the UK DVD release of The Norman Conquests ceases.

7 April 2009
The Old Vic’s production of The Norman Conquests transfers to the Circle In The Square Theater, New York.

7 June 2009
The Norman Conquests is awarded the Tony for Best Revival at the annual Tony awards; the first Ayckbourn play to win a Tony. The trilogy also receives the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for Best Revival.

25 July 2009
The Norman Conquests closes at the Circle In The Square Theater, New York.

4 March 2010
The 1990 BBC Radio adaptation of The Norman Conquests is released on CD - and later in the year as a digital download - as part of the BBC Classic Radio Theatre series.

1 March 2011
The 1977 television adaptation of The Norman Conquests is released on DVD for the first time in North America.

9 April 2014
The 1977 television adaptation of The Norman Conquests is re-released on DVD in the UK.

14 March 2015
A new radio adaptation of
The Norman Conquests is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over three weeks, directed by Peter Kavanagh.

11 April 2015
The British Film Institute screens the 1977 television adaptation of
The Norman Conquests during a single day as part of a celebration of the work of television producer Verity Lambert.

18 September 2017
The Norman Conquests is revived at Chichester Festival Theatre, directed by Blanche McIntyre.

28 October 2017
The Norman Conquests closes at Chichester Festival Theatre.

18 June 2023
50th anniversary of the world premiere of The Norman Conquests at the Library Theatre, Scarborough.

Article by Simon Murgatroyd. Copyright: Haydonning Ltd. Please do not reproduce without permission of the copyright holder.