This lock down has had some positive outcomes.  The BBC in their attempt to maintain some sort of production has decided to remake the ‘Talking Heads’ series by Alan Bennett. 

He is such a superb writer and captures the essence of a thought, character or situation with skill and wit. He lived and went to school just up the road from where we live and his yorkshire roots are always visible like gnarled protrusions at the base of a tree.  His autobiographical work is a delight and I cannot recommend them highly enough.  Each year the London Review of books publishes a diary of the previous year. I just hope he is well at the moment as his take on all this will be a treat.

The point of this post was not to review the works of Alan Bennett, though this is quite a good start, but to introduce their new line up for Talking Heads. They really are a list of the ‘great and good’ of british acting at the moment.  It’s good to see Tamsin Greig again in there.  Having watched her as Malvolia in Twelfth Night last week I turned to my husband and said – I could never be an actor.  The poor woman had been distraught with the cruel treatment she received and then 2 minutes later she is taking a curtain call and smiling away. I don’t think I could go through that trauma nightly and then just smile. 

So for more information – here are the details from the BBC on their new remakes along with two new ones.