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Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
@philhopkinsuk
11:29 AM 26th June 2014
arts

Bennett - The Eternal Observer

 
We all have two eyes and a pair of ears, but only someone like Alan Bennett seems to use them at a level required to observe and record the absurdity, pathos and humour of every day life.

His 12 Talking Heads monologues were penned between 1988 and 1998, and three of them are now playing at the West Yorkshire Playhouse as part of the theatre's tribute to Leeds' famous son.

It's been an interesting journey and I have had the pleasure of watching Enjoy, Untold Stories, Betty Blue Eyes and now the Talking Heads trilogy featuring A Chip in the Sugar, Bed Among the Lentils and A Lady of Letters. If Bennett were passing the Playhouse I'm sure he would make some dry comment if he noticed that almost every seat in the building was currently dedicated to one of his productions!

But he is a worthy literary god.

Each of the monologues, so beautifully delivered by Christopher Chilton, Cate Hamer and Vanessa Rosenthal, hold you for each of their 30-45 minutes because, quite simply, you can hear people you know!

In every word and phrase it's your mum, your neighbour, a friend, usually from a time gone by or from a community where language and phraseology were so important to the identity of that neighbourhood.

Susan, the alcoholic vicar's wife, pinches the communion wine, questions her faith and has an affair with the local Asian shopkeeper, Ramesh, the only time in her life that she discovers her sexuality.

Graham is the middle-aged single bloke living with his elderly mum whilst contending with the return, into her life, of manipulative old flame, Mr Turnbull, whilst curtain twitcher and professional 'Mrs Angry', Irene, writes one letter too many and lands herself in gaol where, for the first time in years, she finds happiness and a sense of purpose among reprobates and craft classes.

They are all funny but, each in their own way, harbour a deep seated sadness that makes you think. If you thought too much you would cry because Graham, Susan and Irene are everyone around us.

And that is Bennett's great strength - appreciated more so when you have watched several productions back to back - his ability to observe and capture life. He was a medieval historian and, coupled with his writing skills, he records social history, moments in time, life.

Each of the Talking Heads - the series was originally entitled Dull Lives - may have been dull in their own environments, but when you are sitting in the audience listening to those you love talking back at you, albeit in a different body, perhaps a different set of clothes or period in time, you understand why the Bodleian Library was so grateful when Bennett donated his entire literary archive to them back in 2008.

Gentle but thought provoking. Definitely worth a watch.

Until July 5th