SAM Freeman, the York Theatre Royal marketing officer, co-artistic director of this autumn’s TakeOver09 festival and blossoming playwright, is taking on another role.

He is directing York Settlement Players’ production of Alan Ayckbourn’s garden comedy from 1978, Joking Apart, for a run at the 41 Monkgate Theatre from Wednesday to next Saturday.

Sam’s love of Ayckbourn’s plays was nurtured in his home town of Scarborough, where he took his first job in theatre as an usher at 16 at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, the regular starting place for Sir Alan’s works.

“It’s my first time directing his work; he’s my favourite playwright: my dissertation was on him,” says Sam.

“I first watched an Ayckbourn play when I was nine and I used to get taken to his Christmas shows, and then when I worked there as an usher I must have seen Joking Apart about 30 times with David Leonard and the lovely Susie Blake in it.

“There’s something about seeing it so often where you pick up on how things are done consciously and subconsciously and you see how it flows.”

Ayckbourn is in a league of his own as a playwright, suggests Sam.

“Just when you think you know something really well, you find there’s even more to the play than you realised. There’s a huge depth to it, which is great for a director because your cast can ask you many questions and there are so many different answers you can give,” he says.

“People think that Ayckbourn just writes comedy, but Joking Apart is a comedy in tragedy’s clothing. There are brilliantly funny lines, but there are lines to make you cry too. You think of modern playwrights who will still be performed in 50 to 100 years’ time, and it will be Ayckbourn because he has such quality in his writing.”

Joking Apart is a 12-year rollercoaster ride where couples compete, confusion is constant and tennis balls zip from right to left, and in keeping with productions at the SJT, Sam will stage his production in-the-round.

“Well, it’s going to be roundish, and we have the most beautiful tennis court made by Mike Rogers,” says Sam. “He had this tennis court in his garden that I assumed was a real tennis court, but it turned out it was for the set.”

• Joking Apart, York Settlement Players, 41 Monkgate Theatre, York, November 11 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinee next Saturday. Box office: 01904 623568.