THE LADY in the Van will be stopping off at the Bear Pit Theatre in Stratford.
Alan Bennett’s true story tells the tale of Miss Shepherd, a sharp, stubborn and often infuriating woman who took up residence in his driveway and never leaves.
Directed by Jo Knight, this production leans into the hazy, offbeat world of the play. Memory and reality blur. Two versions of Bennett share the stage. And at the centre of it all is Miss Shepherd, impossible to ignore and even harder to forget.
There’s humour, but it is also a story about loneliness, boundaries, kindness, and the strange relationships that shape the world.
At the heart of the production is Pamela Hickson as Miss Shepherd, a Bear Pit stalwart and one of its founding members.
She is joined by Graham Mason and Brian Darnley, sharing the role of Bennett, capturing the writer both as observer and participant in his own story.
Around them, a richly drawn world comes to life through Barry Purchase-Rathbone, Nikki Holt, Dominic Rose, Sue Chaperlin, Jill le Mesurier, Philip Hickson, Juliet Grundy and Alan Carmody.
The production runs from June 5 to 13.
Visit www.thebearpit.org.uk for full details.
