Talking Heads at Rugby Theatre

Ash Hirons, Director of 'Her Big Chance'. Photo courtesy of Rugby Theatre.

Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads at Rugby Theatre 21-22 May.

Preview by Rosie Fuller.

Rugby Theatre is putting on three of Alan Bennett’s iconic Talking Heads monologues as part of the venue’s inaugural Fringe Week festival.

The monologues, which were adapted by the BBC during the pandemic starring actors such as Jodie Comer, Martin Freeman and Sarah Lancashire, are considered a masterpiece in storytelling. Tickets to watch all three cost just £10.

First up is Her Big Chance, about a minor actor called Lesley who lands her dream role on a yacht… until things turn out to be not as they seem.

"Her Big Chance grabbed me on first reading,” says Ash Hirons, who is directing the piece. “The yearning of Lesley to be successful, and the reality she chooses not to acknowledge, is what gives the comedy its bittersweet feel.

“It is also a chance to showcase the skills of a fabulous actor in Emma Marshall, who audiences might remember from playing Ruth Ellis in Rugby Theatre’s recent production The Thrill of Love. Truly a director’s dream."

Steve Orton, Director of 'A Chip in the Sugar'. Photo courtesy of Rugby Theatre.

Next up is A Chip in the Sugar, where we meet Graham Whittaker, a repressed homosexual, whose life becomes complicated when his mother encounters one of his old flames.

“As with all the Talking Heads monologues, the writing in A Chip in the Sugar is timeless, because it is about how real people think and behave and always have done,” says director Steve Orton. “The character of Graham is simultaneously touching, amusing and disturbing, and brought to life superbly by Andy MacCallum.”

Wendy Goulstone, Director of 'A Cream Cracker Under the Settee'. Photo courtesy of Rugby Theatre.

The trio concludes with A Cream Cracker Under The Settee, about an aging widow called Doris. “This is the most poignant of the plays and the most memorable,” says Wendy Goulstone, who’s directing the piece.

“A Cream Cracker Under The Settee depicts a stage in life that we all fear, when we look back through our lives, to the good times as well as the mistakes we have made, and dread the future. Debbie Hibberd’s portrayal of Doris is heartbreaking, and I feel honoured to be directing this superb play.”

The plays are taking place as part of Rugby Theatre’s Fringe Week (18-26 May), which is showcasing a range of local drama, music and more at the town centre venue.

Talking Heads takes place on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 May, with all three plays performed both nights. Tickets cost £10 and are available from the Rugby Theatre box office on 01788 541234, or www.rugbytheatre.co.uk.