Mr Whatnot: Significant Productions

This page contains details of significant productions of Alan Ayckbourn's Mr Whatnot, such as the world and London premieres as well as Ayckbourn-directed revivals. It is not a complete list of productions given how frequently it has been performed by professionals and amateur companies around the world.

World Premiere (1963)

First performance: 12 November 1963
World premiere: 12 November 1963
Final performance: 30 November 1963
Venue: Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
Staging: Round

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Character
Mr Whatnot (Mint)
Lord Slingsby-Craddock
Lady Slingsby-Craddock
Amanda, their daughter
Cecil, her fiancé
A Tweedy Lady
Pedestrian / Butler / Vicar
A Gardener
A Maid
Actor
Peter King
Stanley Page
Heather Stoney
Elizabeth Bell
Bernard Gallagher
Caroline Smith
David Spencer
Bernard Gallagher
Caroline Smith

London Premiere (1964)

Premiere: 6 August 1964
Closed: 22 August 1964
Venue: New Arts Theatre, London
Staging: Proscenium Arch

Director: Warren Jenkins
Design: Peter Rice
Mime supervision: Julian Chagrin
Sound: David Collison
Lighting: Robert Bryan
Incidental Music: Vivian Ellis

Deputy Stage Manager: David Monro
Assistant Stage Manager: Heather Stoney
Assistant Stage Manager: Arnold Beck
Character
Mr Whatnot (Mint)
Lord Slingsby-Craddock
Lady Slingsby-Craddock
Amanda, their daughter
Cecil, her fiancé
A Tweedy Lady
Herbert the Butler
A Gardener
Agnes, the Maid

Understudies
Actor
Peter King
Ronnie Barker
Judy Campbell
Diane Clare
Ronnie Stevens
Marie Löhr
Peter Stephens
Christopher Godwin
Judy Cornwell

Arnold Beck
Heather Stoney

Revival (1968)

Premiere: 5 November 1968
Company: Leeds Art Theatre
Venue: Leeds Civic Theatre
Staging: End stage
Note: Amateur production

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Sound: Barrie Davenport
Lighting: Trevor Faulkner / Tony Braime
Wardrobe: Nettie Ross / Anita Courtney

Stage Manager: Evelyn Stanley
Character
Mr Whatnot (Mint)
Lord Slingsby-Craddock
Lady Slingsby-Craddock
Amanda, their daughter
Cecil, her fiancé
A Tweedy Lady
Herbert the Butler
A Gardener
Agnes, the Maid
A Vicar
Actor
Bob Peck
Len Shannon
Jane Wilson
Sue Clarkson
Mervyn Cumming
Jose Strauss
Alan Bowerman
Edwin Barraclough
Lynn Gibson
Jack Grimshaw
Note: It is unusual for this website to carry details of amateur productions of Alan Ayckbourn's plays. This production marked the first time Alan Ayckbourn directed the actor Bob Peck - at the time Alan was a BBC Radio Drama Producer in Leeds and he was the President of Leeds Art Theatre.

Revival (1976)

Premiere: 26 October 1976
Venue: Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round, Scarborough
Staging: Round

Director: Alan Ayckbourn
Design: Helga Wood
Character
Mr Whatnot (Mint)
Lord Slingsby-Craddock
Lady Slingsby-Craddock
Amanda, their daughter
Cecil, her fiancé
Mrs Grisley Williams
Herbert the Butler
A Gardener / Pedestrian
Agnes, the Maid
Actor
Malcolm Hebden
Christopher Godwin
Heather Stoney
Diane Bull
Robin Herford
Alison Skilbeck
Bob Eaton
Bob Eaton
Wendy Murray

Revival (2013)

First performance: 15 March 2013
Premiere: 19 March 2013
Venue: Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Staging: End-stage

Director: Cal McCrystal
Design: Lucy Bradridge
Lighting: Richard Godin
Sound: Helen Atkinson
Choreographer: Ivan Fabrega
Character
Mr Whatnot (Mint)
Lord Slingsby-Craddock
Lady Slingsby-Craddock
Amanda, their daughter
Cecil, her fiancé
A Tweedy Lady / Maid
Butler / Cyclist / Gardener /
Vicar
Actor
Juanma Rodriguez
Russell Dixon
Liz Crowther
Antonia Kinlay
Charles Hunt
Flick Fernando
George Keeler
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.