Why do people compare playwrights Alan Ayckbourn and Neil Simon?

Question:I am a big fan of British playwright Alan Ayckbourn, but am unclear on what similarities there are between his works and those of American playwright Neil Simon. I've read several works by each of them, but other than writing comedies, what similarities make their comparison such a big deal?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am a big fan of British playwright Alan Ayckbourn, but am unclear on what similarities there are between his works and those of American playwright Neil Simon. I've read several works by each of them, but other than writing comedies, what similarities make their comparison such a big deal?

From what I've seen, they are being compared for their individual works in their countries. I think it's to help people be familiar with the playwrights themselves.

" Neil Simon is to the American theatre what Alan Ayckbourn is to the British, an incredibly prolific and successful writer of comic plays unmatched in popular appeal, if not always hitting the critical jackpot."

Someone like me who has never heard of Alan Ayckbourn gets an almost immediate understanding in general of Mr. Ayckbourn through that statement because I know who Neil Simon is and am a bit familiar with his work.