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A Chorus of Disapproval
A Chorus of Disapproval
	Original window card, 1984
Written by	Alan Ayckbourn
Date premiered	2 May 1984
Place premiered	Stephen Joseph Theatre (Westwood site); Scarborough, England
Original language	English
Subject	An amateur operatic society mirrors The Beggar's Opera
Genre	Comedy
	Official site
Ayckbourn chronology
It Could Be Any One Of Us; (1983)	Woman in Mind; (1985)

A Chorus of Disapproval is a 1984 play written by English playwright Alan Ayckbourn.

Synopsis

The story follows a young widower, Guy Jones, as he joins an amateur operatic society that is putting on The Beggar's Opera. He rapidly progresses through the ranks to become the male lead, while simultaneously conducting liaisons with several of the female cast. Many of the songs from The Beggar's Opera are kept within the play, usually being sung with their own, new context.

First productions

Ayckbourn wrote the work for the 1984 summer season at his Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, where it opened on 2 May. Peter Hall, director of the National Theatre, London, had expressed an interest in the piece and Ayckbourn modified his initial concept to suit an eventual large-scale production; on 1 August 1985 it opened in the National's Olivier auditorium, with Ayckbourn directing, Michael Gambon playing amateur director Dafydd Llewellyn and Bob Peck as newcomer Guy Jones. The female leads were Gemma Craven, Imelda Staunton and Kelly Hunter.^[1]^[2]

Film adaptation

References

^ Murgatroyd, Simon. "An In-Depth Background To A Chorus Of Disapproval". Alan Ayckbourn: The Plays - In Depth. alanayckbourn.net. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
^ Wardle, Irving (2 August 1985). "Painful laughter". The Times.