Talking Heads

By Alan Bennett

Talking Heads is going on tour!

We are taking two of our favourite Talking Heads monologues by Alan Bennett on tour this autumn:

A Lady Of Letters

Irene Ruddock is not afraid to speak, or rather write, her mind about society’s faults. She writes to her MP, the Queen, the police, the local crematorium and the chemist – in fact everyone she can to suggest how to remedy these ills. When she suspects a neighbouring couple of child abuse though things become very serious.

Soldiering On

Stoicism is seen as a particular strength of the British character and no-one is more stoical than Muriel who we meet just after husband Ralph’s funeral. She’s part of the posh “country set” and Ralph has left her a very rich widow, but there’s a liquidity problem according to son Giles and Ralph was apparently not all he seemed either.

Droll humour and poignant humanity

It was a lovely surprise to be invited to review two performances from Alan Bennett’s famous Talking Heads monologues; A Lady of Letters and Soldiering On. It has been a couple of decades since I saw any of these classic monologues performed on stage, so I was very much looking forward to refreshing my memory of Bennett’s well-told tales of ordinary people.
Presented by The Play’s The Thing Theatre Company, tonight’s production is part of a regional tour in October 2025, continuing on to Coventry (23rd), Chipping Camden (24th), Thetford (29th) before the final show at St. Alban’s (30th). The company is enthusiastic about contributing to the local arts offerings in their home city of Milton Keynes and produce “thought provoking and challenging work with high production values” as well as making such work affordable to all audiences, and investing in training for actors, role-play for businesses and workshops for schools.
Tonight’s performances were beautifully portrayed by Caroline Mann (Irene Ruddock in A Lady of Letters) and Sue Whyte (Muriel Carpenter in Soldiering On). With a simple set of a wingback chair and a separate table and chairs used for both monologues, and subtle lighting changes and homely (think Last of the Summer Wine) interstitial music to show the passing of time, it was the acting that took centre stage, and with Bennett’s eloquent and poignantly comic writing, both performances were impeccably rendered.
Irene Ruddock is quite literally a ‘lady of letters.’ She writes to all and sundry with her complaints about society, whether they are large or inconsequentially small; indeed, the Queen is not even safe from her written crusades. Mann’s portrayal eases us into Irene’s meddling and her seemingly harmless letter-writing, with her subtle, nuanced performance lulling the audience into laughing along at her activities before it becomes clear that her assumptions may be misguided and could result in more serious consequences than she realises.
Whyte’s portrayal of recently widowed Muriel Carpenter is just as nuanced and well-delivered. While the monologue starts with her describing details of her husband’s wake, with lots of laughs (Bennett’s observational writing at its best), it soon becomes clear that the men in her adored family are not necessarily the good citizens she initially paints them, or believes them, to be. But it is her ignorance to her own part in historic familial trauma that is the most poignant and heartbreaking.
Both performances were expertly executed by the actors, and I would highly recommend a visit to future shows for a thought-provoking evening with some laughs thrown in for good measure.

Sophie Francis - Daily Info

Net curtains veil suburban secrets

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett at the Albany Theatre on 23 October 2025. The Plays the Thing Theatre Company present A Lady of Letters and Soldering On.
Net curtains and lace doilies can conceal a multitude of suburban secrets – but Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues never shies away from laying them bare with poignancy, humour and sometimes heartbreak. This double vignette, by theatre company The Play's The Thing at the Albany Theatre, thrusts us into Bennett’s world of compulsive curtain twitchers, gypsy cream biscuits and Jacob's crackers. But amid all the hallmarks of British traditions, it’s easy to forget what a trailblazer Bennett was in the 80s, giving a voice to older female actors, so often invisible in life and neglected on stage.
I first fell in love with Talking Heads on television in my twenties, when an army of formidable grand dames led by Thora Hird captivated the nation with the 45-minute monologues. Now I’m on the wrong side of middle age, the characters resonate even more deeply. The pieces selected by The Play's The Thing were two of my personal favourites: A Lady Of Letters, originally starring Patricia Routledge; and Stephanie Cole’s incredible Soldiering On. Stepping into the shoes of Routledge is no mean feat, but Caroline Mann, steps up to the challenge with aplomb, bringing lonely spinster Irene Ruddock to life adeptly.
Following close behind was Sue Whyte, as Soldiering On's upper-middle class Muriel, whose comfortable Jilly Cooper-esque country set life is plunged into chaos after the death of her husband Ralph. Bennett’s genius lies in the gimlet detail of his scripts: he subtly drip-feeds nuggets of information that reveal these stalwarts of the community, WI members, and self-styled battleaxes are never quite what they seem. Loneliness, pride, humour and stoicism bump up in a quiet yet devastatingly human collision.
That said, it’s not just the brilliance of the dialogue at play here. Mann and Whyte command the stage alone for just short of an hour, never missing a line. Holding an audience’s attention solo for 45 minutes must be a daunting prospect for the most experienced of actors, but the duo pull it off perfectly, carving up Bennet’s slices of life to reveal loss and pain beneath the veneer of respectability. Much like biting into one of Bennett’s beloved gypsy creams only to find a bitter filling, these performances iced cloying nostalgia with sharp and often shocking social criticism.

Amanda Burden - Elementary Whatson

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett

The Maltings Theatre, St Albans 30^th October 2025
I am old enough to remember the original TV versions of the Talking Heads monologues by Alan Bennett. They were gentle and bittersweet, often with a few surprising twists. The Play’s The Thing theatre company brought their production, featuring 2 of the most iconic monologues – A lady of Letters & Soldiering On – to the Maltings Theatre as part of their regional tour.
The Maltings Theatre is a relatively small space, providing a suitably intimate setting. The first monologue featured Caroline Mann as Irene Ruddock, in A Lady Of Letters. Irene copes with her loneliness by writing a multitude of letters to numerous people, including the Queen. Unfortunately the letters include accusations that get her into trouble. Caroline Mann gives a balanced performance, allowing the script the space it needed to deliver the twists and turns and a surprisingly uplifting ending. Bennett is able to gently prod and poke at some of societies issues with a pathos and tenderness that have underlined his work for many years.
After a short intermission, the second monologue featured Sue Whyte as Muriel Carpenter in Soldiering On. Muriel has recently lost her husband Ralph and faces the future with a highly stoic approach. Her trust in her sons’ financial advice leads her into serious financial trouble, but she finds it impossible to find fault in her late husband or son. It is a study in the ‘dust yourself down and carry on’ approach of previous generations. Sue Whyte brings the character to life well, adding great depth to the role.
Overall an enjoyable and entertaining night out, which is of course how it should be. This was just the kind of production suited to the Maltings Theatre.

Nigel Minchin - St Albans Life

What a fantastic evening. Brilliant writing and acting. Really enjoyed it.

It was excellent. I remember watching the original TV versions in the 1980s. Brought back memories. Such a great playwright and such excellent performances