The Norman Conquests, Alan Ayckbourn
The Norman Conquests, Alan Ayckbourn
List: $6.95 | Sale: $4.87
Club: $3.47

The Norman Conquests

Author: Alan Ayckbourn

Narrator: Martin Jarvis, Rosalind Ayres, Full Cast

Unabridged: 4 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/25/2009


Synopsis

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.

L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performances featuring:
Rosalind Ayres as Sarah
Kenneth Danziger as Reg
Martin Jarvis as Norman
Jane Leeves as Annie
Christopher Neame as Tom
Carolyn Seymour as Ruth

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ellie on September 23, 2018

Chuckling away to myself over absolute gems such as: ‘You’ve got as much feeling as a dried-up old tea bag’ and ‘Don’t get ladylike just because you’re in drag’ ....without forgetting the classic ‘Just because you’re unfaithful there’s no need for your pyjamas to be as well.’......more

Goodreads review by Lizzie on June 25, 2024

Brilliant trilogy of plays, so cleverly written. Would love to act in one of them!......more

Goodreads review by Tim on November 05, 2015

The early 1970s means something to me. Perhaps because I was then first becoming aware of an intellectual zeitgeist, in things like plays and books and concerts. While still very young, I watched suburban professors and scientists adopt a watered-down version of the ideals of the 1960s, grow their h......more

Goodreads review by Colin on June 19, 2017

The Norman Conquests is a whimsical trilogy of plays that, while a little anachronistic, glow with humor, ambition, and ingenuity. Each play in this trilogy approaches the same confusing July weekend from a different location (dining room, garden, etc.) at a once stately but now dilapidated English......more

Goodreads review by Tom on August 20, 2016

The set up is ingenious and there is real craft on display. In many ways it is an accurate tweaking of certain smug judgmental home counties values and attitudes but I really didn't enjoy it. The whole things has the air of a seventies sitcom, though not a particularly funny one. The humour is shall......more