The power of a monologue and great writing

I have always found there to be something mesmerising about a monologue.  Just one actor performing solo on stage, captivating an entire audience for an hour or so. For me, this is theatre at its finest. Completely stripped back from big casts, scenery changes, elaborate costumes, and a focus on the importance of storytelling.

A monologue is unique. A powerful piece of theatre due to the intimacy it creates. It is as though we are in the room with that one person, and they are speaking directly to us. For example, audiences watching ‘Soldering On’ and ‘A Lady of Letters’ - the two ‘Talking Heads’ monologues by Alan Bennett that we are taking on tour in October - you could be sitting on the sofa with Irene or Muriel having a cup of tea and a chat. 

Barriers are broken between actor and auditorium allowing the audience into their world to experience their story. To be able to laugh and cry with them and feel what they are experiencing.

Even when it is someone else’s story, a great monologue can resonate with many. In ‘Soldiering On’, Muriel is recently widowed and through her story, told with great stoicism, we find out she is slowly losing everything through the misplaced trust of her son. We also begin to read between the lines about why her daughter has mental health issues. We begin to question who Ralph, Muriel ‘s husband, really was.

Irene in ‘A Lady of Letters’ is lonely and isolated. She finds a sense of belonging and some agency in writing complaint letters. Her letters get out of hand and her continued interference escalates to an arrest. The result is the best thing that happens to her. It’s quite a twist!

Both monologues have been skilfully written, and are witty, heartbreaking and profoundly moving. A widow reflecting on her losses, or a lonely woman filling her days writing letters; we understand emotions and experiences that mirror our own, allowing us to connect wholly with the pieces.

Theatre like this is memorable, particularly when each person in the audience hears the character speaking directly to them about their vulnerabilities, experiences, mistakes, hopes, and dreams. The stories stay and the discussions start long after the performance ends. Sometimes it even prompts us to seek help or open up about our own challenges.

That’s why we’re taking these two iconic monologues on tour in October. We have the opportunity of sharing them with audiences at eight venues around the county, so these stories are heard far and wide.

We have kept tickets at affordable prices to make the plays accessible to all. These are plays about ordinary lives, and everyone deserves the chance to see them and potentially recognise themselves in them.

Even though ‘Soldiering On’ and ‘A Lady of Letters’ were written almost 40 years ago, people today can identify with them no matter their age.

We are excited to be performing at the following theatres:

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We hope you will be able to join us for an evening of exciting theatre.