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Title details for The Norman Conquests by Alan Ayckbourn - Available

The Norman Conquests

by Alan Ayckbourn
Martin Jarvis
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

Sir Alan Ayckbourn's celebrated triology The Norman Conquests - three hilarious and poignant plays depicting the same six characters in one house over one weekend, namely Norman and his romantic follies:

Table Manners: England's famous seducer of other men's wives lays siege to his sister-in-law in the first "battle". A middle-class family trying to have a pleasant country weekend is no match for Norman, who horrifies everyone by doing exactly as he likes.

Living Together: In the second "battle" Norman gets drunk on homemade wine – and all hell breaks loose. He unleashes his merry brand of manipulative charm on the hapless guests and even his most formidable opponents go down in defeat on the drawing room rug.

Round and Round the Garden: In the third "battle" the setting is Mother's overgrown English garden, where something more troublesome than brambles lurks among the roses. Havoc ensues as this satirical masterpiece makes its way to a hilarious conclusion.

A full-cast performance with Rosalind Ayres, Kenneth Danziger, Martin Jarvis, Jane Leeves, Christopher Neame and Carolyn Seymour.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 24, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781580815666
      • File size: 116185 KB
      • Duration: 04:02:03

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      L.A. Theatre Works has again hit the jackpot with this delightful audio presentation of Alan Ayckbourn's celebrated trilogy. THE NORMAN CONQUESTS is not one play but three comical pieces depicting the same six characters in one house over one crazy weekend. The presentation is well paced and appropriately energetic. The cast, led by Rosalind Ayres and Martin Jarvis, also features Jane Leeves (from TV's "Frasier"), Kenneth Danziger, Christopher Neame, and Carolyn Seymour. Each actor fully develops his or her character in a most consistent way. Incidental music and sound effects add to the excellence of this production. Playwright and actors make these characters so interesting and funny that the audio presentation seems to fly by. M.R.E. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from May 4, 2009
      A star-studded cast shines in this full production of Ayckbourn's acclaimed trilogy. The three comedies\x97each set in a different room of a country house\x97follow six characters through a calamitous family weekend. In Table Manners, Living Together and Round and Round the Garden, hilarity, miscommunication and mayhem abound as Norman, a lovable and randy troublemaker, seduces his sister-in-law, gets drunk on homemade wine, quarrels with his wife and bullies the local veterinarian\x97to the chagrin of his equally madcap and argumentative family. The incomparable Martin Jarvis delivers an unforgettable performance as Norman, with Jane Leeves as lovelorn Annie, Christopher Neame as the clueless Tom, Ken Danziger as the sardonic Reg, and the entire cast delivering excellent performances in a hilarious and highly recommended audio book that will deliver the listener to the front row of the theater.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Three edgy comedies give us three views, during one weekend, of a dysfunctional family at an English country house as Norman, a lighthearted but incorrigible seducer, sows chaos. As is typical of Ayckbourn, the humor is often dark or uncomfortable, with scenes evolving from tension into overt drama. The thoroughly professional cast delivers the humor with grace and the drama with power. The characters are flawed, at times even unpleasant and a bit exaggerated, but the strong performances help keep them both sympathetic and realistically human. In the rapid interplay, a few words are sometimes lost, and occasionally sisters-in-law Ruth and Sarah sound too much alike, a problem for audio. But this is a top-notch production of three amusing, if at times discomforting, plays. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 31, 2009
      A star-studded cast shines in this full production of Ayckbourn's acclaimed trilogy. The three comedies—each set in a different room of a country house—follow six characters through a calamitous family weekend. In Table Manners
      , Living Together
      and Round and Round the Garden
      , hilarity, miscommunication and mayhem abound as Norman, a lovable and randy troublemaker, seduces his sister-in-law, gets drunk on homemade wine, quarrels with his wife and bullies the local veterinarian—to the chagrin of his equally madcap and argumentative family. The incomparable Martin Jarvis delivers an unforgettable performance as Norman, with Jane Leeves as lovelorn Annie, Christopher Neame as the clueless Tom, Ken Danziger as the sardonic Reg, and the entire cast delivering excellent performances in a hilarious and highly recommended audio book that will deliver the listener to the front row of the theater.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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