The Complete Talking Heads

by Bennett, Alan

• ISBN13: 9780312423087
• ISBN10: 031242308X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-23
• Publisher: Picador

Summary

Alan Bennett's award-winning series of solo pieces is a classic of contemporary drama, universally hailed for its combination of razor-sharp wit and deeply felt humanity. InBed Among the Lentils, a vicar's wife discovers a semblance of happiness with an Indian shop owner. InA Chip in the Sugar, a man's life begins to unravel when he discovers his aging mother has rekindled an old flame. InA Lady of Letters, a busybody pays a price for interfering in her neighbor's life. First produced for BBC television in 1988 to great critical acclaim, the Talking Heads monologues also appeared on the West End Stage in London in 1992 and 1998. In 2002, seven of the pieces were performed at the Tiffany Theater in Los Angeles for a highly praised brief engagement, and in 2003 a selection of the monologues premiered in New York at the Minetta Lane Theatre. These extraordinary portraits of ordinary people confirm Alan Bennett's place as one of the most gifted, versatile, and important writers in the English Language.

Author Biography

Alan Bennett is a renowned playwright, essayist, and storywriter, whose screenplay for The Madness of King George was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the author of The Clothes They Stood Up In, The Laying On of Hands, and Writing Home. He lives in London.

Table of Contents

Introduction	9	(4)
A Woman of No Importance	13	(28)
Introduction to Talking Heads	31	(10)
A Chip in the Sugar	41	(14)
Bed Among the Lentils	55	(14)
A Lady of Letters	69	(12)
Her Big Chance	81	(14)
Soldiering On	95	(12)
A Cream Cracker Under the Settee	107	(28)
Introduction to Talking Heads 2	119	(16)
The Hand of God	135	(10)
Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet	145	(14)
Playing Sandwiches	159	(12)
The Outside Dog	171	(12)
Nights in the Gardens of Spain	183	(12)
Waiting for the Telegram	195
The Cast	205