Intimate Exchanges: A Timeline
The Timeline offers a chronological view of significant events in the history of the play Intimate Exchanges; it only lists major productions and does not include the vast majority of the many professional and amateur productions of the play.Circa March 1982
Whilst on tour to the Alley Theatre, Houston, with Way Upstream, Alan Ayckbourn approaches the actors Robin Herford and Lavinia Bertram separately to discuss whether they would be interested in a two-hander show with multiple variations; both agree, although Robin is slightly reticent having recently become a father.
Circa April 1982
Alan Ayckbourn begins writing Intimate Exchanges - a play with a common opening scene but with decisions at the end of each scene which lead to a play with 16 possible variations. He will continue writing variants for approximately the next nine months.
10 May 1982
Rehearsals begin for Intimate Exchanges with Alan Ayckbourn directing Robin Herford and Lavinia Bertram. The first variant to be rehearsed is A Cricket Match. By this point, he has written four of the eight major variations.
3 June 1982
World premiere of Intimate Exchanges at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, directed by Alan Ayckbourn. The first performance variant is A Cricket Match.
1 February 1982
Premiere of the final variant of Intimate Exchanges with A Pageant.
28 March - 9 April 1983
Intimate Exchanges Grand Marathon held at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, in which every possible permutation of the play is performed in 16 performances over two weeks.
1 October 1983
Intimate Exchanges closes at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough.
11 June 1984
Intimate Exchanges opens at the Greenwich Theatre, London, directed by Alan Ayckbourn.
14 August 1984
Intimate Exchanges transfers to the Ambassador's Theatre, London.
16 February 1985
Intimate Exchanges closes at the Ambassador's Theatre, London.
1985
Samuel French publishes Intimate Exchanges in two volumes.
12 July 1987
Intimate Exchanges is broadcast on the radio on the BBC World Service, directed by Gordon House. Four of the eight major variations are broadcast over four consecutive weeks.
9 July 1988
In what is believed to be a first, a professional production of Intimate Exchanges at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing, directed by Philip Dart offers audiences the chance to make the choice of which of the final scenes of the two versions produced they would like to see.
15 December 1993
World premiere of the films of Smoking / No Smoking, directed by Alain Resnais, in French cinemas. The films adapt six of the eight major variations.
26 February 1994
Smoking / No Smoking wins the Cesar Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Writing, Best Actor and Best Production Design.
16 September 1994
Smoking / No Smoking premieres in UK cinemas.
23 June 2004
Smoking / No Smoking released as a 3 disc DVD set in France. This set has not been released in other territories.
21 February 2006
Alan Ayckbourn suffers a stroke two weeks before rehearsals for a revival of Intimate Exchanges are due to begin. Tim Luscombe agrees to direct the play during 2006.
27 April 2006
Intimate Exchanges opens at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, directed by Tim Luscombe. The season will see him direct six of the eight variations with the remaining variants to follow in 2007.
23 September 2006
The first block of Intimate Exchanges closes at the Stephen Joseph Theatre with six of the eight variations in repertory.
1 March 2007
Intimate Exchanges returns to the Stephen Joseph Theatre with Alan Ayckbourn directing the two remaining variations, A Pageant and A Game Of Golf.
23 April - 5 May 2007
The Intimate Exchanges Big Event is held at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, in which every possible permutation of the play is performed in 16 performances over two weeks.
31 May - 1 July 2007
Intimate Exchanges transfers to the 59E59 Theaters, New York, directed by Alan Ayckbourn. It is produced as part of the Brits Off Broadway festival and breaks box office records at the theatre.
7 March 2013
A major revival of Intimate Exchanges (involving four of the eight permutations) is staged at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, directed by Robin Herford.
Article by Simon Murgatroyd. Copyright: Haydonning Ltd. Please do not reproduce without permission of the copyright holder.