Alan And Thora

· BBC Digital Audio · Narrated by Alan Bennett and Thora Hird
5.0
1 review
Audiobook
1 hr 35 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

Until the time of her death in 2003, much-loved actress Thora Hird worked regularly with the playwright Alan Bennett. Now, in a specially written introduction and postscript, Bennett recalls his work and friendship with Thora, and introduces three examples of their collaboration. In The Last of the Sun, Dolly's remaining days in an old people's home are enlivened by a seemingly respectable man. Recorded in 2002, Thora Hird's last ever performance, in a part written especially for her, is moving and memorable. In A Cream Cracker Under the Settee, Doris has taken a fall at home, and until someone comes to rescue her she's left immobile and in reflective mood. This monologue features one of Thora's best-remembered performances. Waiting for the Telegram sees Violet remembering how she lost her first young man - but she does not see how close she is to losing her second. This heartbreaking piece won Thora Hird huge critical acclaim, and showcases her acting genius.

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5.0
1 review

About the author

Alan Bennett's television series Talking Heads has become a modern-day classic, as have many of his works for the stage, including Forty Years On, The Lady in the Van, The Madness of George III (together with the Oscar-nominated screenplay The Madness of King George) and an adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. The History Boys won the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle awards for Best Play, The Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and the South Bank Award.

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