Alan Bennett News

Technically excellent and engaging, the penultimate episode in this splendid reboot is let down by stakes that seem too slight to warrant our full emotional investment.

Just 5 shows? Right now I would settle on seeing pretty much anything in a theatre, legs pressed against the seat in front of me and an overpriced beverage in hand. With the Government's recent announcement of a rescue package for the arts, we can see a chink of light in the darkness that has enveloped the industry for so many months. Although we still don't have a date when theatres can reopen, we can dream about what we would like to see when it does, finally, happen...

A cautionary tale of what goes around, comes around, The Hand of God continues the series of Alan Bennett's wonderful Talking Heads with a story of comeuppance, karma and justice.

Tamsin Greig delivers the standout performance of the series as the woman who finds friendship with a murderer.

Lesley Manville gives us a vicar's wife finding solace in the bottle when she wants and deserves more - fleetingly, she gets it.

Rochenda Sandell gives a fine performance with a script that falls below the high standard set in other episodes.

Martin Freeman takes on the writer's old role in the tale of a man trapped with his mother who finds that, for all the frustrations that entails, anything else is probably worse.

Playing Sandwiches is certainly one of the darker stories within Alan Bennett's superb Talking Heads series. Written in 1998, this uncomfortable and disturbing piece originally featured David Haig. This update showcases a mesmerising performance by Lucian Msamati as park worker Wilfred Paterson; a seemingly ordinary man, with two very different sides to his character.

Continuing the BBC's revival of Alan Bennett's iconic Talking Heads, Her Big Chance features Jodie Comer as an aspiring actress. Best known for her role in the BBC's Killing Eve, Comer bravely takes on the role originally played by the brilliant Julie Walters, bringing warmth, sympathy and wide-eyed naivety to the part.

As part of Alan Bennett's iconic series of monologues Talking Heads, An Ordinary Woman is one of two brand new creations, written by Bennett for the revival. It shows that Bennett remains unafraid to tackle the most taboo of subjects, found in the most everyday of circumstances.

Even for those not around for the first TV broadcast in 1988, Alan Bennett's Talking Heads has had a long-lasting resonance. Winning two BAFTAs and an RTS award, the monologues have also been on the school curriculum for many. As monologues, they are much easier to film during these restricted times, but what these new versions prove is that the format still works brilliantly; as a showcase for some superb acting talent and for Bennett's own sharp and darkly witty scripts.

Alan Bennett's The Habit of Art is now streaming online via BookMyShow!

Alan Bennett's epic multi award winning drama The Madness of George III, is now streaming as part of National Theatre at Home. Let's see what the critics are saying...

Alan Bennett's epic multi award winning drama The Madness of George III, will be streamed today, June 11 (2pm EDT), as part of National Theatre at Home.

Today (June 11) in live streaming: National Theatre at Home brings back The Madness of King George III, the newest Broadway's Next on Stage and so much more!

In Hamilton, George III has become a more well-known King, albeit portrayed as a comedic figure; the monarch who lost Britain America. In Alan Bennett's thoughtful play, The Madness of King George III, he is depicted as a man who struggles with mental illness, familial betrayal and attempts to usurp his power. After first appearing at the National Theatre in 1991, this enthralling revival was filmed at the Nottingham Playhouse in 2018, directed astutely by Adam Penfold.

Alan Bennett's epic multi award winning drama The Madness of George III, will be streamed on 11 June via the National Theatre's YouTube channel as part of National Theatre at Home.

BritBox, the subscription streaming service from BBC Studios and ITV with the largest collection of British television content in North America, will launch the full BBC Television Shakespeare Collection on May 26.

As the shutdown continues, BroadwayWorld is keeping you up to date on the latest announcements and updates from New York's Off-Broadway theatres. 

Filming begins today on new productions of Alan Bennett's critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning Talking Heads monologues, which first aired on BBC Television in 1988 and 1998.