Bennett belters still a knockout
Tytyty tytyty tytyty
A MENACE to society in a buttoned-up blouse and knitted cardigan, sitting at a twee writing desk, Imelda Staunton’s Lady of Letters kicked off BBC1’S run
of must-see monologues. which you invariably do. Imelda’s judgmental Irene Ruddock dashes off letters with her trusty pen, sparing no thought for the consequences.
“I can’t say the service was up to scratch. In fact I wrote to the crematorium.
“The new couple opposite don’t look very promising. He has a tattoo. They don’t use a tablecloth. They’re probably not even married. The kiddie looks filthy.”
If Bennett had written this now, Irene would be the online troll. One day the police knocked and questioned her about “these letters you’ve been writing”. They told her the “kiddie” had died of cancer.
Cut to Irene having the time of her life in prison. “This is the first taste of freedom I’ve had in years,” she declared. The loneliness in her life had suddenly gone.
Sarah Lancashire as Gwen in An Ordinary Woman was just as captivating, nattering away like a normal mum.
But something was afoot. “He doesn’t look 15,” Gwen said of her son Michael. “He has lovely hands.”
We were then subjected to half an hour of this woman in a baggy cardie telling us that she had sexual feelings for her son.
“I thought there was something, genes or something, that gave you immunity,” she pondered. The result was Gwen having a meltdown when Michael got a girlfriend. You don’t even see that in Corrie.
I thought Harriet Walter’s portrayal of a stiff upper-lip grieving widow who was conned out of her life savings by her son was going to be slightly less shocking.
But even then, there were hints that her dead husband had sexually abused their daughter Margaret, who now languished with bad mental health. Another stomach punch of a plot twist.
Bennett has proved his monologues remain a masterclass in misery, with challenging plots and twisting stories that stay with you. The only thing that has dated are the cardigans.
WHEN schoolboy Henry was separated from his BAME friends in a racism experiment, it all became too much and he burst into tears.
“I want to be with my friends, not split by race. It feels awful,” he said.
My heart went out to the brave 11 and 12-year-olds at the London school who took part in the intriguing experiment that revealed a number of difficult truths.
The School That Tried To End Racism on C4
HOW, er, fitting, that the
British winner of The Great
on Sewing Bee on BBC1
doctor working Wednesday, was a
of coronavirus. on the front lines
Clare Bradley Hospital consultant
anyway, so I’m deserved a crown
up in thrilled that she measured
stitching a red this contest after
stole the evening gown that show. It was shear
glamour.
contained many upsetting moments. Farrah, who has an Asian father and white mother didn’t know which group she belonged to.
And she admitted: “I thought I had to be white to be pretty.”
After an eye-opening sports event to highlight inequality, Mahkai, pictured left, said: “It felt like a really racist sports day. I just wish everyone could be equal.” All credit to these articulate, thoughtful kids who want to learn from each other and make a difference.