THE LADY IN THE VAN

When British playwright Alan Bennett (THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE) allowed an eccentric street person to park her broken-down camper in his upper-class London driveway, he thought he was performing a temporary good turn. Instead, she stayed 15 years (1974-1989) and provided him with the grist for this marvelous, touching autobiographical gem. Adapted from the stage, this BBC Radio production has everything a listener could ask for in an audio drama: superb acting; wry, truthful dialogue; and a realistic, film-like soundscape. Whether demanding help with the dishes or composing a letter to the queen, Dame Maggie Smith (Harry Potter’s Professor McGonagall) is an absolute force of nature as the beguiling, exasperating, and always indomitable Miss Mary Shepherd. Yes, art does imitate life. A listening joy. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2011]