Ayckbourn to step down from theatre post

Sir Alan Ayckbourn is to step down as artistic director of Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre after 37 years.

He will quit his post next summer but will continue to direct his plays at the venue.

Sir Alan, 68, has been artistic director of the seaside town theatre since 1971.

The playwright suffered a stroke in February last year but returned to work five months later, directing his new play If I Were You.

Sue Truefitt, chairman of the Stephen Joseph Theatre Board, said: "Over the last couple of years, Alan Ayckbourn's day-to-day involvement in the running of the Stephen Joseph Theatre has been decreasing, although his directing work has continued as normal. In the forthcoming season he will be directing Relatively Speaking and A Trip to Scarborough and he is planning for the 2008/09 season.

"This decrease in his workload will lead to the appointment of a new artistic director in the Summer of 2008, to plan the 2009/10 season.

"Alan intends to continue to direct revivals of his plays at the theatre as well as premiering any of his new work there."

Sir Alan is currently in New York directing Intimate Exchanges.

A spokeswoman for the theatre said the playwright would be making no further comment.