Talking Heads with Imelda Staunton and Maxine Peake to transfer to Sheffield Crucible and Leeds Playhouse

Two of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads monologues will be presented in Sheffield and Leeds in November.

Transferring from the Bridge Theatre in London to the Sheffield Theatres and Leeds Playhouse, Imelda Staunton and Maxine Peake will star in "A Lady of Letters" (directed by Jonathan Kent) and "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet" (directed by Sarah Frankcom) respectively.

The two monologues will be presented in front of a socially distanced audience at Sheffield Theatres from 9 to 11 November before transferring to Leeds Playhouse, where they run from 12 to 14 November.

Sheffield Theatre's artistic director Robert Hastie said: "One positive consequence of the pandemic has been greater collaboration and a powerful sense of our interconnectivity as theatres and theatre-makers.

"I'm thrilled that thanks to the staunch support of Alan Bennett and our friends at The Bridge, and a commitment by two of Britain's finest and best-loved performers to playing theatres outside London, Sheffield audiences returning to the Crucible this autumn will be able to enjoy these timeless monologues by one of Yorkshire's greats."

The original Bridge Theatre productions were designed by Bunny Christie, with lighting by Jon Clark, video designs by Luke Halls, sound by Gareth Fry and music by George Fenton.

The pieces are currently being presented as part of the Bridge's reopening season, after being broadcast on the BBC earlier this year.