Cover story
Alan Bennett’s iconic Talking Heads monologues return with a starry new cast
Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer is among the stars of Alan Bennett’s new series of Talking Heads
ALAN BENNETT’S BAFTA-WINNING Talking Heads were brought to TV in 1988 and 1998 by a distinguished line-up of acting talent, including Dame Julie Walters, Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Thora Hird.
Now, 10 of the playwright’s beautifully crafted monologues have been remade, alongside two brand-new stories, featuring a fresh and equally stellar line-up, starting this week with episodes featuring Imelda Staunton, Sarah Lancashire and Dame Harriet Walter.
‘The cast is astonishing, and they all agreed at the first time of asking – I hope this is because they liked the scripts,’ says Bennett. ‘I’m flattered and grateful. I’ve had to refresh my memory of some of the scripts, and I even found myself laughing.’
Here’s a round-up of what’s in store, and a reminder of who was in the original versions…
A LADY OF LETTERS Imelda Staunton plays Irene, who was played by Patricia Routledge in1988.
Working-class single woman Irene is an inveterate writer of letters to the police force and her local MP about social problems. When Irene’s correspondence lands her in prison, she takes to her new surroundings surprisingly well. ‘The only member of the cast I knew was Imelda,’ reveals Bennett. ‘But they all called me to say they were having a good time, which one is always glad to know.’
AN ORDINARY WOMAN Sarah Lancashire plays Gwen in one of two new Talking Heads monologues.
Gwen is a complex and troubled woman in her middle years. ‘To be asked to perform a new “Talking Head” was beyond any expectation,’ says Happy Valley’s Lancashire. ‘The matchless brilliance of Alan’s words made this a thrilling experience, and I’m enormously grateful. It was the opportunity of a lifetime.’
SOLDIERING ON
Dame Harriet Walter plays Muriel, who was played by Stephanie Cole in1988.
Pillar of the community Muriel struggles on, despite serious family and health problems. ‘During the play, Muriel learns to re-evaluate her close family and friends, and the