Alan Bennett's Talking Heads

Three unforgettable characters. Three sharply observed stories. One brilliant evening of Alan Bennett.

EVOKE Productions invites you to Talking Heads, presenting three of Alan Bennett’s celebrated monologues. Step into Bennett’s wonderfully distinctive world, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, the hilarious sits alongside the heartbreaking, and seemingly everyday lives reveal unexpected depths.

• Her Big Chance introduces Lesley, an aspiring actress convinced that her latest film role could finally be the break she has been waiting for. But as she enthusiastically recounts her experiences on set, there may be rather more to the story than meets the eye.

• A Chip in the Sugar centres on Graham, a seemingly mild-mannered bachelor whose carefully ordered life is disrupted when his widowed mother begins to reconnect with an old flame. As family tensions rise, Graham’s version of events becomes increasingly questionable - and wonderfully funny.

• Bed Among  the Lentils introduces Susan, the disenchanted wife of a vicar, who finds herself trapped between the expectations of respectable married life and an increasingly irresistible escape from it. Her candid reflections offer Bennett at his most witty, poignant and quietly subversive.

Three monologues. Three very different lives. Three compelling glimpses behind closed doors.

Funny, uncomfortable, touching and brilliantly human, Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads remains a masterclass in storytelling, and EVOKE Productions is delighted to bring these much-loved characters to life in an intimate studio theatre setting at La Villette Hotel.

Audience Advisory 
The three monologues presented in this production were written by Alan Bennett in 1988 and first performed in the early 1990s. They reflect the language, attitudes, social conventions and subject matter of the Britain in which they were written.

The pieces contain references and language relating to subjects including homophobia, racism, class, religion and other aspects of social life that some audiences may find challenging or uncomfortable by today’s standards. Some of the subject matter is also deliberately provocative and hard-hitting.

The text is presented as originally written and, in accordance with the terms of the production license, has not been amended or adapted by EVOKE Productions.

The views, attitudes and language expressed by characters within these monologues are those of the characters and reflect the work and period in which they were written. They should not be taken as representing the views or values of EVOKE Productions, its members, performers or production team.

Audience discretion is advised.