Untold Stories Tickets

Untold Stories – Tender, gentle, eccentric

Alan Bennett’s acute observation, gentle wit, wry humour and deeply-felt memories come to the fore in this deliciously funny but equally sad pair of tales written when he thought he was about to shuffle off this mortal coil.

A diagnosis of cancer seldom results in such raw creativity, but Bennett pulled out all the emotional stops. The result is utterly delightful, pure Bennett and a joy to behold with its deceptively soft exterior and core of steely Northern grit, both unforgiving and forgiving at the same time. Quite remarkable.

Untold Stories - The story

This is a production in two parts, each a standalone with its own director.

First there’s Hymn, the touching tale of the music that formed the backdrop to the writer’s childhood and the memories it reveals. This part of the show, the shorter of the two pieces, is beautifully directed by Nadia Fall with an evocative musical score by the talented George Fenton, a deceptively mild and gentle meander through a series of old tunes played live by an on-stage quartet.

The second and longer part is directed by Nicholas Hytner, dipping into Bennett’s memoir, A Life Like Other People’s. As you’d expect it’s amusing and tender, beginning with Bennett clearing out his parents’ kitchen cupboards after their deaths. As he picks through the contents he muses on his mother’s deep but fearful desire to become middle class, reflected in the poignant contents of her kitchen: glace cherries, cochineal, cocktail sticks, the makings of ‘finger food’.

As quoted by the Londonist.com, the very fine actor Alex Jennings is the real star of the show: “Jennings’ masterful impression of Bennett: the stooped, deprecating mannerisms, the modulated clergyman tones and the bloodhound-mournful expression are all captured to perfection. It really IS Alan Bennett on stage.”

Untold Stories theatre tickets – Enjoy Alan Bennett as his best!

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