Two for the price of one, says BILL BRAY; Alan Bennett becomes schizophrenic
After the undergraduate review, Beyond the Fringe became the surprise theatre hit in London in 1960 and in New York in 1962, Alan Bennett continued to write and still occasionally appeared both on stage and TV in his own plays. His writings have been very successful and several of his plays have been highly popular with audiences at the GWT. Other work has usually taken the form of short pieces: articles for magazines and newspapers, radio talks, book reviews, and diaries. He has an eye and ear for oddities and eccentricities and these details provide much of the interest and humour in his work.
Nothing was odder than his experience with Miss Shepherd whose battered old van arrived and parked in Gloucester Crescent, NW1 in the 1970s. Various incidents, parking restrictions and spiteful social prejudice on the part of the locals, caused Bennett to allow the van to be parked in the driveway of his house and there it stayed and stayed.
Miss Shepherd, her views, aspirations and behaviour are the substance of the play. Bennett wrote it first as an article in the London Review of Books and expanded it for his collection Writing Home. To rewrite it for the stage demanded a complete revision and Bennett came up with the notion of making it a debate about the fundamental reason for doing good acts. Was it purely unselfish philanthropy or do we do good to make ourselves feel better? Is it a matter of self-pride, enabling us to congratulate ourselves on being so moral and kind to others?
Being a central figure in the story, Bennett had the bright idea of splitting his character into two Alan Bennetts; one at the age of the portrayed events and an older, more sceptical Alan Bennett, who is able to take a retrospective view and discusses with himself (the other Alan Bennett) the philosophical issues and true reasons for his kindness to Miss Shepherd.
It may sound complicated but in Alan Bennett's assured hands it all becomes not only clear but deliciously comic and a great theatrical evening. I need say no more to tempt you to book for The Lady in the Van. You'd probably decided not to miss this one anyway.
JOHN WILSON, director, says: "Everyone loves an Alan Bennett play"
The Lady in the Van is an autobiographical account of an episode in Alan Bennett's life. In 1974, he encountered Miss Mary Shepherd, an elderly eccentric living in a decrepit van in a street near his home in Camden Town. He eventually allowed her to park her van in his front garden, the idea being that she would stay three months, but those three months extended to fifteen years! Therein lies the story.
The outrageous Miss Shepherd, is a trained concert pianist, ex-nun, ex-ambulance driver and would-be Prime Minister. At her behest the author is forced to turn down the volume of his radiogram, recharge her van's flat battery and become her reluctant carer.
I have been fortunate to assemble a talented cast for this wonderfully funny and moving play. Mary Gibson takes on the role of Mary Shepherd, with Mike Higginson and Damon Unwin as the two Alan Bennetts.
The supporting cast includes an array of GWT favourites including, Eileen Brookes, Alan Goodwin, Cath Bateman, Gaynor Griffin, Paul Wharton, Maurice Tripp, Phil Newton and David Hampton.
I urge you to book early to avoid disappointment, because, let's face it, everyone loves an Alan Bennett play. |