Rick Bowen – Stage Struck

As I left the Garrick on Monday night one question was running through my mind – why doesn’t Celia Bonner do more acting? She gives a captivating performance as Miss Shepherd, the enigmatic down-and-out taken in by Alan Bennett and who lived on his driveway for what was supposed to be a temporary basis.

But “temporary” turned into 15 years and an unlikely friendship grew between the genius playwright and an old woman whose outlook on life was, to put it mildly, unique.

It soon emerges that Miss Shepherd has a past, psychologically she’s damaged goods and her unapologetic attitude to personal cleanliness had the audience wincing with disgust when I saw this on opening night.

Celia’s sense of timing is flawless and, under the astute direction of Carole Carr, she’s ably supported by Mike Shaw and Jonathan Black, who share the role of Bennett himself.

Nobody tells a story quite like this national treasure and his turn of phrase is quite brilliant. But you have to be prepared to listen. It’s a case of blink and you’ll miss his priceless witticisms.

Barry Purves’ and Amanda Cooke’s spartan set captures perfectly the suburban London in which this remarkable story unfolds, a tale which can be summed up in the phrase “you couldn’t make this up.”

While Miss Shepherd’s lack of personal hygiene repulsed me at times, I found myself drawn to someone who refused to live by society’s rules. Alan Bennett was similarly drawn and he got a play out of it.

Star rating – 3.5 out of 5