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Alan & Thora
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A unique collection of 12 full-cast BBC Radio productions of plays by Alan Bennett. The titles are: 40 Years On, A Visit from Miss Prothero, Say Something Happened, Kafka's Dick, Two in Torquay, The Madness of George III, The History Boys, An Englishman Abroad, A Question of Attribution, The Lady in the Van, Cocktail Sticks and The Last of the Sun.
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Alan Bennett's gentle, wry observations of life have made him one of the country's best-loved and most famous authors. He reads extracts from his best-selling diaries which offer a fascinating insight into his life - the work on location, life in Camden and fond, poignant memories of his childhood and home life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Entertaining
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Alan Bennett narrates the latest installment of his diaries, as heard on BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week. Following on from Alan Bennett's best-selling, award-winning prose collections Writing Home and Untold Stories, Keeping On Keeping On is a third anthology featuring his unique observations, recollections and reminiscences. At its heart is his latest published collection of diaries.
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Described as unabridged but not really
- By pwgc on 10-11-16
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This unique anthology of Alan Bennet's BBC radio and television work features extracts from his diaries and readings, as well as tributes to friends Russell Harty and Peter Cook.
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The Complete Talking Heads
- The classic BBC Radio 4 monologues plus A Woman of No Importance
- By: Alan Bennett
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- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 470
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 418
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Story5 out of 5 stars 420
The complete audio collection of Alan Bennett's celebrated monologues, published together for the first time and performed by some of Britain's best actors. The Talking Heads monologues are widely regarded as one of Alan Bennett's finest dramatic achievements. First broadcast on BBC TV and BBC Radio 4 in the 1980s and 1990s, they won a host of awards and huge popular acclaim, and remain among his most admired works today.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bleak but brilliant!
- By Laura on 01-01-16
-
Alan Bennett: Stories
- Read by Alan Bennett
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 174
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 172
A unique collection of eight Alan Bennett stories, read by the author. Alan Bennett is one of Britain's best-loved authors and an acclaimed storyteller. This exclusive compilation includes eight of his best tales, collected together for the first time. Here is his celebrated, iconic memoir 'The Lady in the Van'; as well as two fascinating autobiographical accounts of his family and childhood.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Consummate story-teller
- By Kirstine on 04-12-16
-
Alan Bennett: Plays
- BBC Radio Dramatisations
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: John Gielgud, Maggie Smith, Patricia Routledge
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 213
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 193
A unique collection of 12 full-cast BBC Radio productions of plays by Alan Bennett. The titles are: 40 Years On, A Visit from Miss Prothero, Say Something Happened, Kafka's Dick, Two in Torquay, The Madness of George III, The History Boys, An Englishman Abroad, A Question of Attribution, The Lady in the Van, Cocktail Sticks and The Last of the Sun.
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1 out of 5 stars
-
Plays by Alan Bennett
- By Edwin on 29-09-16
-
Alan Bennett
- Diaries 1980-1990
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 1 hr and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
Alan Bennett's gentle, wry observations of life have made him one of the country's best-loved and most famous authors. He reads extracts from his best-selling diaries which offer a fascinating insight into his life - the work on location, life in Camden and fond, poignant memories of his childhood and home life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Entertaining
- By Vivienne on 05-12-15
-
Alan Bennett: Keeping On Keeping On
- Diaries 2005-2014
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 218
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 188
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 188
Alan Bennett narrates the latest installment of his diaries, as heard on BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week. Following on from Alan Bennett's best-selling, award-winning prose collections Writing Home and Untold Stories, Keeping On Keeping On is a third anthology featuring his unique observations, recollections and reminiscences. At its heart is his latest published collection of diaries.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Described as unabridged but not really
- By pwgc on 10-11-16
-
Alan Bennett at the BBC
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9
This unique anthology of Alan Bennet's BBC radio and television work features extracts from his diaries and readings, as well as tributes to friends Russell Harty and Peter Cook.
-
Alan Bennett
- Telling Tales
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 22
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Story5 out of 5 stars 22
Following on from the phenomenal success of Writing Home, Alan Bennett reminisces about his early years, from his schooldays to undergraduate life at Oxford University.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Beautifully poignant and funny
- By Paul Brookes on 17-11-16
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Alan Bennett
- Untold Stories Part 4: A Common Assault
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 2 hrs and 24 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
A Common Assault describes an incident in Italy when he was mugged, and found himself trying to give a statement to the police in bad Italian. The History Boys harks back once more to Bennett's time at school, and shows how the raw material of experience was eventually transformed into the highly-acclaimed stage play The History Boys. Arise, Sir..., finishes on a light-hearted note, in which Bennett muses on the Honours List in typically iconoclastic mode.
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Alan Bennett
- Untold Stories, Part 1: Stories
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
Untold Stories, Alan Bennett's first major collection of prose since his best-selling Writing Home, brings together the finest and funniest of his writing over the last 10 years.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Masterpiece by a Master writer
- By Sue McW on 18-06-14
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Getting On
- A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Drama
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Charles Simpson, David Rintoul, Emily Richard, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1
A BBC Radio 4 full-cast production of one of the earliest plays by Alan Bennett. The 1970s are a time of change, but Labour MP George Oliver feels stuck in one place: distrusting the ‘mawkish mentality’ of the young and fearing the encroaching life of the middle-aged, with little to look forward to but the imminent end of a not-very-interesting road.
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Alan Bennett
- Untold Stories, Part 2: The Diaries
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 38
Untold Stories, Alan Bennett's first major collection of prose since his best-selling Writing Home, brings together the finest and funniest of his writing over the last 10 years.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Author relays diaries
- By Hedgehog on 01-01-17
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Alan Bennett
- Untold Stories Part 3: Written on the Body
- By: Alan Bennett
- Narrated by: Alan Bennett
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 24
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
Alan Bennett reads five more extracts from Untold Stories, his major collection of new writings. Untold Stories, Alan Bennett's first major collection of prose since his bestselling Writing Home, brings together the finest and funniest of his writing over the last 10 years.
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3 out of 5 stars
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You gotta love Bennet
- By Alison on 06-02-15
Summary
This splendid title showcases the combined talents of Alan Bennett, one of our foremost dramatists and writers, and Thora Hird, the celebrated and much-loved actor who died in 2003. It features an exclusive and unique recording, The Last of the Sun, that Thora made for BBC Audiobooks a couple of months before her death. A short piece written by Alan especially for Thora, The Last of the Sun is controversial and challenging, and yet it has all the pathos and tenderness that we expect of Bennett's writing. This performance, Thora's last, is very moving and memorable.
Accompanying The Last of the Sun are two best-selling Talking Head monologues, A Cream Cracker Under the Settee and Waiting for the Telegram.
Also featured is a specially written introduction and postscript, in which Alan recalls the experience of knowing and working with Thora.
This is a fitting tribute to the talents of a pair who, in the course of their longstanding working relationship, combined drama and comedy to leave a legacy of unique work. Alan and Thora is sure to appeal to all Bennett and Hird fans.
Listen to our charming interview with Alan Bennett on the Audible.co.uk Podcast.
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christine Hargreaves
- 02-04-14
lovely memiors of a truly loved lady.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes it is a large bit of recent history
Who was your favorite character and why?
Thora was a treat to hear her voice
Which character – as performed by Alan Bennett and Thora Hird – was your favourite?
Thora
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Both
Any additional comments?
A true insight to a cleverly impish true lady
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ROSALIND BUCK
- 29-10-15
Simply brilliant in every way
What did you like best about this story?
So true to life, Bennett creates super realistic characters and the stories and performance are touching, a delight to savour.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
There simply wasn't enough of it!
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Linda
- 03-01-15
Alan and Thora
I thought it was a very fitting tribute to Thora. I had never heard her last performance before and am very pleased that it was included in this tribute.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs
- 07-10-13
A lovely , thought provoking listen
What made the experience of listening to Alan & Thora the most enjoyable?
The story lines, the way Alan Bennett gently explores characters and hints at their lives and the way the character's monologues are so beautifully acted by Thora Hird
What did you like best about this story?
Waiting for the telegram is one of the most poignant and beautifully written exploration of ageing and life I have heard . I am playing it to all my nursing students as it encapsulates many themes around caring for older people and how people see them is not necessarily who they are and have been
Have you listened to any of Alan Bennett and Thora Hird ’s other performances? How does this one compare?
I have only listened to one previous recording with Thora Hird which was fab - a cracker under the settee. This is better as there is more of Thora
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
In waiting for the telegram the character's remembering her first love
Any additional comments?
I have listened to this time and again, something I rarely do
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Charlotte Street
- 29-10-16
Heartwarming.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audible book. Waiting for the telegram was beautifully scripted and brought tears to my eyes.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul Brookes
- 30-05-16
Touching portrayal of a working relationship
I adore her down to earth attitude and humour. They complement one another perfectly. Funny and touching.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- denise
- 09-07-13
Wonderful Alan and Thora at their best
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
If you like Alan Bennett and Loved Thora Hird this is a really nice listen.
What other book might you compare Alan & Thora to, and why?
Any other Alan Bennett book to be honest his style of writing is very inspirational
What does Alan Bennett and Thora Hird bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
I've always found Thora Hird to be like a relative, a nice Auntie someone who listens, and her and Alan Bennett had an amazing collaboration, two people who worked together perfectly.
A wonderful closing chapter to Thora Hirds career and life on the stage.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No I listened in 2 sittings but I will listen again at some point
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M. J. Swift
- 03-06-19
Excellent performance by Thora Hird
I really enjoyed this. Well written by Alan Bennett and Thora Hirds performance was memorable .
1 person found this helpful