The Lady in the Van

Synopsis

Miss Shepherd is a curious and enigmatic lady. Alan knows very little about her. She used to drive ambulances in the war, might have been a nun, sells pencils and pamphlets and has an unexplained aversion to piano music. But somehow she lives in the playwright’s garden and has done for years. The Lady in the Van is based on renowned British playwright Alan Bennett’s own recollections of the indomitable Miss Shepherd and is, as with any Bennett play, a beautifully observed, sharply intelligent and wonderfully witty drama.

Our Review:

11 May 2011

Writers will be writers – many of us loathe our neighbours but stuck with Miss Shepherd in his garden for 15 years, Alan Bennett made the most of the material, and a remarkable play. Whether true to life, or mostly made up ultimately doesn't seem to matter; the irony is, he actually envies her interesting times.

The cleverly designed set, dominated by the van, has the playwright crammed into one little corner with his desk. However, although equally crafty, the device of having twin narrators/actors, or rather good cop/bad cop, is occasionally less than winsome though amusement is had from him getting in touch with his inner Bennett. Whilst hard to tell which was Paul Kemp and which James Holmes, both very good, naturally, it's the really good one, if you follow me, who is the more appealing.

The always splendid Nicola McAuliffe is swathed in umpteen layers and coiffed like the nun she may once have been, literally stinking to high heaven. An outstanding tragi-c...

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