Ayckbourn writes out the English comedic tradition made famous by such luminaries as Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward (Hay Fever). However, in the late-1960s, when Ayckbourn's career took off, the comedy of manners was no longer fashionable. Critics preferred more abstract writing of the style initiated in the Postwar period by the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot) and, two decades later, his British imitators Harold Pinter (The Homecoming) and Tom Stoppard. Ayckbourn has always been popular with audiences, and critics have also come to value his work. His knighthood in 1987 confirmed his status as one of Britain's most influential and successful playwrights.

Critical reception of A Chorus of Disapproval's debut was largely positive, and it has since become known as one of Ayckbourn's best plays. In his review in the Guardian, Michael Billington praised the play as "a magnificent comedy," and drew attention...