The Lady in the Van
Alan Bennett
Based on Bennett’s own memoirs, this play tells the extraordinary true story of Miss Shepherd, a transient woman who temporarily parked her van in Bennett's London driveway and stayed for fifteen years. The play features two versions of Alan Bennett on stage—one who lives the life and one who writes it—creating a meta-narrative about the writer's burden and the nature of charity. It is a funny, touching, and occasionally acerbic look at an unlikely friendship and the eccentricities of North London life, exploring the boundaries of privacy and the weight of social conscience.
Miss Shepherd: A singular, eccentric, and fiercely independent woman of mysterious origins who lives in a dilapidated van and maintains a prickly relationship with her reluctant host. Alan Bennett (1 & 2): The playwright split into two personas—one dealing with the practicalities of his guest, the other observing and writing the events with detached irony. Rufus: A fictionalized neighbor who represents the judgmental, middle-class attitudes of the street, contrasting with Bennett’s own hesitant and complex form of tolerance.
First Performance: 1999, at Queen's Theatre, London
A massive West End hit, famously starring Maggie Smith, who later reprised the role in the successful film adaptation.
Original Actors: Maggie Smith, Nicholas Farrell, Kevin McNally