Jeeves / By Jeeves: Frequently Asked Questions
Alan Ayckbourn's Archivist Simon Murgatroyd's answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Alan Ayckbourn's Jeeves & By Jeeves. If you have a question about this or any other of Alan Ayckbourn's plays, you can contact the website via the Contact Us page.Are Jeeves and By Jeeves the same musical?
No. They're significantly different. Jeeves was written and performed in just one production - a notorious West End flop - in 1975. Alan Ayckbourn and Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to have another crack at the material during the 1990s and created By Jeeves. Alan Ayckbourn virtually rewrote the entire book - the plot is completely different to Jeeves - although six songs from the original musical were kept alongside five new songs. Objectively, the plays are very different pieces and whilst Jeeves is an acknowledged flop, By Jeeves is an award-winning, critically acclaimed and popular musical which has been produced numerous times around the world. The differences are explored here.
Is the original musical Jeeves available to perform?
No. The original musical Jeeves (1975) was, to all intents and purposes, withdrawn from production following its original run at Her Majesty's Theatre, London, in 1975. It is not available to produce and there is no intention of it ever being released for production.
Is By Jeeves available to produce?
Yes. By Jeeves is available for professional and amateur companies as well as educational establishments to produce. Full details about By Jeeves and how to license performing rights can be found at Andrew Lloyd Webber Show Licensing.
Which of P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves & Wooster novels inspired the musicals?
Alan Ayckbourn did not adapt a specific P.G. Wodehouse novel for Jeeves or By Jeeves; the musicals are most inspired by the plot of The Code Of The Woosters.
Has By Jeeves been published?
By Jeeves has not been published as a mass market publication. For companies producing the play, manuscripts are provided with the purchase of the license via Andrew Lloyd Webber Show Licensing.
Is Jeeves the biggest West End flop of Alan Ayckbourn's career?
Surprisingly, no (although it depends how you define flop - here we consider duration of the run rather the financial losses). The shortest run of any Ayckbourn play in London's West End was his very first transfer. Mr Whatnot opened at the New Arts Theatre in 1964 before closing two weeks later. In comparison, Jeeves lasted four weeks before suffering the same fate.
Should a flop be defined by its financial success or losses, then Jeeves would probably count as the single most expensive flop of the playwright's career.
Is it possible to buy the soundtrack for By Jeeves?
Yes, it is available as a digital download or via digital streaming across most streaming services.
Why are there no reviews for Jeeves on the website?
Given the considerable quantity of reviews available for Jeeves - it ranks amongst the most reviewed of any of Alan Ayckbourn's world premieres - there is, practically, not the space to accommodate the reviews. Whereas for other plays, a selection of short extracts for the London premiere are carried, this is largely pointless here given the uniformity of the reviews in their negative criticism of the play; unlike most plays where there is a diverse range of opinions to draw from to illustrate differing opinions of the work, Jeeves was universally panned with many of the reviews playing out in much the same way as the next. Given that only confirms what is already common knowledge - that the critics generally hated every aspect of it! - the space for reviews has been given over to other resources which provide insight into the play. However, should you be interested in the reviews of Jeeves and By Jeeves, a comprehensive collection is held in the Ayckbourn Archive at the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York which is available for the public to peruse.
In By Jeeves, there is reference to Bertie's banjo concert being in aid of the T.G.B. & S., what is this?
To answer this, I must gratefully turn to Harold 'Stinker' Pinker: "The T.G.B. & S. carries out wonderful work in the community. These works are so vital in fact that the community could not be without them. The T.G.B. & S. is a very worthwhile and commendable cause which brings the community together with all the positively imperative work it does. Without these works our community would not be capable of continuing as it does. Support for the T.G.B. & S. is crucial to maintain such good works in our community and it needs more help now than ever before. Without support, the T.G.B. & S. would not be able to perform such good works which are an essential part of community life." Many thanks to Harold for this, which I could not have put more succinctly myself and I'm sure answers any and all questions about what the T.G.B. & S. is and stands for….
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd.