The Lady In The Van - By Alan Bennett - Altrincham GarrickAltrincham Garrick

It is said that charity begins at home. For Alan Bennett, it began at the bottom of his drive with a yellow custard van inhabited by an irascible eccentric who refused to budge.

The Lady in the Van is the true story of Miss Shepherd, an offbeat woman of uncertain origins, who “temporarily” parked her broken-down van in writer Alan Bennett’s London driveway, and proceeded to live there for the next 15 years.

Miss Shepherd’s stay may have been a blight on Bennett’s front garden, but it eventually allowed him to unravel the fascinating story of her life – for which we are all eternally indebted.

Rick Bowen – Stage Struck

https://www.stagestruck.info

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 has 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.

Photos by Martin Ogden

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The Lady In The Van – By Alan Bennett

It is said that charity begins at home. For Alan Bennett, it began at the bottom of his drive with a yellow custard van inhabited by an irascible eccentric who refused to budge.

Rick Bowen – Stage Struck

Free Car Parking. Cosy Bar. Great Prices.

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