Hero's Welcome: Quotes by Alan Ayckbourn

"Hero’s Welcome is about the prodigal son, Murray, coming back to his home town. He’s one of my anti-heroes really, a squaddie who has got all the good qualities that I like; he trusts people and he’s honest with people."
(Interview with Simon Murgatroyd, April 2015)

On the decision to use the voices of BBC North presenters Harry Gration & Amy Garcia
"I wanted to start it [
Hero's Welcome] with an interview situation where it just sets it up, where the hero and his bride are being interviewed - she speaks no english at all and clings onto him affectionately through the interview; she’s terrified of this place. I wrote a couple of mythical interviewers and I suddenly thought what am I doing? I was sitting watching Look North one night actually and I thought these guys are good. They could do it!"
(BBC North, 5 August 2015)

"Alpha men [such as Brad] like to challenge each other; there's that desperation to top each other's funny stories, for example, where no-one laughs because they're primed for their own. I don't want to generalise about male rivalry, but the men don't come out of it well in this play, though the women at least show some strength and determination, but on the way you think, good God, I fear for her.'"
(The Press, 14 September 2015)

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