TALKING HEADS monologues to be performed in a double bill

SHEFFIELD THEATRES 9 – 11 NOVEMBER
LEEDS PLAYHOUSE 12 – 14 NOVEMBER

Imelda Staunton in A Lady of Letters directed by Jonathan Kent
Maxine Peake in Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet directed by Sarah Frankcom

Following the television broadcast in June this year, and an upcoming run at the Bridge Theatre, two of Alan Bennett’s TALKING HEADS monologues will be performed in a double bill at Sheffield Theatres and Leeds Playhouse this November.

The transfers represent a show of solidarity with the two Yorkshire venues by the performers, the Bridge Theatre, and the creative teams of these two pieces. For these performances, as at the Bridge, Alan Bennett has generously waived his royalty.

Sheffield Theatres today announced its reopening, bringing live performance back to the Crucible with the TogetherSeason. TALKING HEADS will join an ambitious programme of shows and events, presented in a socially distanced format.

Artistic Director Robert Hastie said “One positive consequence of the pandemic has been greater collaboration and a powerful sense of our interconnectivity as theatres and theatre-makers. I’m thrilled that thanks to the staunch support of Alan Bennett and our friends at The Bridge, and a commitment by two of Britain’s finest and best-loved performers to playing theatres outside London, Sheffield audiences returning to the Crucible this autumn will be able to enjoy these timeless monologues by one of Yorkshire’s greats.”

Leeds Playhouse has already announced Connecting Voices, a collaboration between Leeds Playhouse and Opera North which runs 2 – 17 Oct. TALKING HEADS will form part of the following season, running from 19 October, the full details of which will be announced at the end of September.

Artistic Director James Brining said: “It is wonderful that these highly acclaimed actors are willing to support regional theatre in this way bringing their talent to the Playhouse stage and their support to our cities. Imelda and Maxine’s are cherished throughout the country and their performances will bring joy and excitement after the long months of closure. Alan Bennett is of course, a Leeds icon and we are grateful to him and the Bridge Theatre for enabling these very special performances to take place.”

During April and May, while the Bridge Theatre was closed, the London Theatre Company worked with the BBC to produce Alan Bennett’s landmark TALKING HEADS monologues. They were broadcast on BBC One in June. Each of the short plays is a perfectly distilled masterpiece, sometimes disturbing, often hilarious and always profoundly humane.

The original Bridge Theatre productions were designed by Bunny Christie, with lighting by Jon Clark, video designs by Luke Halls, sound by Gareth Fry and music by George Fenton.

In line with current government guidelines, audiences will be of limited capacity with social distancing and temperature checking will also be in place at each these theatres.

Lady of Letters / Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet, Sheffield Crucible Theatre
9 – 11 November
The Together season goes on sale to members from 30 September and on general sale from 6 October. Book online sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Lady of Letters / Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet, Leeds Playhouse
12 – 14 November
Tickets are on sale to Brooke Club members, Priority Access members and Playhouse Pass holders from Wednesday 30 September, with tickets on general sale on Tuesday 6 October. Box office 0113 213 7700 | Book online leedsplayhouse.org.uk