Absent Friends By Alan Ayckbourn

Acerbic and painfully funny, Absent Friends explores friendship, marriage and what it ultimately means to be happy.

It is Summer 1974. A well-intentioned tea party descends into chaos. Wealthy, unfulfilled housewife Diana arranges a gathering of old friends to cheer up her bereaved friend, Colin. Preparations for the party spark tensions and open old wounds. As lingering resentments and deep-rooted jealousies surface, an unexpectedly cheerful Colin strolls into the mayhem. In one of his finest and darkest plays, Ayckbourn’s craftsmanship and acute social observation have never been sharper or more biting – another great night of drama at Millfield Theatre. Also shows on Fri 11th at 7.30pm, and Sat 12th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm.