THE LADY IN THE VAN. To 7 November.
Keswick.
THE LADY IN THE VAN
by Alan Bennett.
Theatre By The Lake In rep to 7 November 2008.
Mon-Sat 8pm Mat 10 Sept, 1, 22 Oct, 1 Nov 2pm.
Audio-described 1 Oct 2pm.
Captioned 10 Sept 2pm.
Runs 2hr 20min one interval.
TICKETS: 017687 74411.
www.theatrebythelake.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 20 August.
The Lady in the Van’s about the laddy in the house.
Who but Alan Bennett would live for years with an ungracious, unsanitary, if educated stranger like Miss Shepherd parked in a van in his drive, making severe demands on his patience and depositing various disgusting substances in or near the waste-bins of his affluent North London home?
Yet, nuisance as she clearly was, Bennett’s play treats her with respect. Other characters are treated in a range from tolerant fun at liberal and not-so-liberal neighbours to withering scorn for a blandly presumptuous social worker.
Yet the real subject is Bennett himself, represented by two actors. Here, they are Bennett lookalike David Ericsson, and soundalike Peter Rylands, one representing Bennett’s thoughts and feelings, the other his actual engagement with people. This duality finds a peak of hilarity when an internal storm of abuse is revealed as words that remained unspoken.
Yet, while the indecisiveness implied by the two actors can make a comic point, as when they simultaneously answer Yes and No to a question, it has a serious base, seen when a doctor keeps skilfully pushing back on to Bennett the decision over whether to keep his aged mother alive.
Miss Shepherd becomes an alternative mother, present in London while the real parent’s in Leeds. Both can be demanding; both give Bennett a sense of responsibility. Ian Forrest’s Keswick production confirms other revivals in showing the writer is the play’s real subject. Maggie Smith’s Miss Shepherd took over the London premier; here, Pamela Buchner gives nothing to match Smith’s magnificent display, but the character she creates is tougher and more believable.
Determined, assertive and utterly unaware of how demanding she is, Buchner’s Miss Shepherd allows only occasional, brief glimpses of vulnerability, with excuses about the smell in her van and a suggestion of comfort after the authorities have taken her away, cleaned her up, and in the process hastened her end. Similarly, hints about her unhappy, talented past leak almost casually out.
The cameo roles are varyingly successful, but Forrest’s production makes clear why self-questioning Bennett allowed his self-certain guest drive-space, then found the experience a suitable case for dramatic treatment.
Social Worker/Interviewer: Krissi Bohn.
Rufus/Leo Fairchild/Doctor/Lout: Patrick Bridgman.
Miss Shepherd: Pamela Buchner.
Pauline: Sara Coward.
Alan Bennett: David Ericsson.
Mam: Dinah Handley.
Underwood/Mam’s Doctor/Ambulance Man/Priest: Stephen Ley.
Alan Bennett 2: Peter Rylands.
Local Youths/Workmen/Undertaker’s Men: Robert Carter, David Bell, Michaael Eccles, Chris Briggs, Jim Askew, David Roberts, Marc McAdam, Paul Paxon, Neil Airey.
Director: Ian Forrest.
Designer: Martin Johns.
Lighting: Nick Beadle.
Sound: Matt Hall.
Dialect coach: Charmian Hoare.
2008-08-29 13:25:54