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| The Lady in the Van is at the Abbey Theatre |
So it is no surprise to learn that the Abbey Theatre is almost completely sold out for the Company of Ten's production of Bennett's The Lady in the Van.
The audience will not be disappointed - under Ian Rowe's enthusiastic directorship it is a delight from beginning to end.
The Lady in the Van is based on Bennett's true-life account of the woman he knew as Miss Shepherd whom he allowed to live in a van at the bottom of his North London garden for many years.
On the face of it, the material is not an obvious choice for a play but in Bennett's hands it comes to life in a gently witty and sometimes acerbic way.
We have not just one Alan Bennett on stage but two - one to narrate events from Bennett's original diary observations of life with Miss Shepherd and the other to live through it from her arrival in his street to her death.
It is an impressive and highly-successful device which actually sees the two Bennett's bickering, consoling and cajoling each other on stage whether they are listening to the music which Miss Shepherd hates or dealing with an over-zealous and self-righteous social worker.
Roger Scales as the narrating Bennett and Tim Hoyle as his counterpart are both excellent, capturing all the Bennett nuances which have made him a national institution.
Tim Hoyle in particular in his face-to-face dealings with Miss Shepherd demonstrates every human emotion you would expect from someone who has a tramp living on his doorstep. Yet it is Roger's lugubrious and well-pitched comments which generate most of the laughs.
Angela Stone is in fine form as Miss Shepherd, alternately bossy, aggressive and pathetic. She portrays Miss Shepherd in a sympathetic light - her reasons why everyone complains of the "Suzie Wong" emanating from her and her van are hilarious - but it is a role which lends itself to numerous interpretations in the hands of different actresses.
The supporting cast have largely minor roles, with Helen Miller as the social worker who believes on short acquaintance that she knows what is best for Miss Shepherd, and Dennis O'Connell-Baker as the mysterious Underwood particularly good.
But the real star is the van itself which Ian was determined to source and get on stage despite the difficulties of access. As it twirled on its revolving stage like something out of a poor man's Motor Show, it was shown to the audience in all its glory - a triumph for both the director and his stage-management team.
The Lady in the Van runs until Saturday (1st March). Any remaining tickets can be obtained from the box office on 01727 857861.
MADELEINE BURTON
© Herts Advertiser 2008. Reproduced by permission