doomed species

Alan Ayckbourn, whose 71st play opens in Scarborough tomorrow, thinks the straight play is a doomed species.

'what I get really angry about is the terrible starvation of the theatre out of London ... the death of regional work is very serious. You pick up the programme of the average rep company and you find no individual voice - it's all co-productions with other theatres. Or it's 'devised' work, and most of that is rubbish.'