Alan Bennett's Talking Heads Review by Grace Davidson-Lynch

They say not to judge a book by its cover. So surely a cookbook entitled Just Desserts displayed on a shelf behind a woman describing the death of her neighbour is just a conincidence… right?

That’s Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads for you – it’s never as simple as it seems.

Bennett is arguably the master of the monologue. There are few writers who can so ably blend comedy, darkness, and social critique into an enjoyable evening of theatre. The latest Sydney theatre company to take a crack at this work is W Theatre, transferring this London production with a new Woollahra branch for their Australian debut. It’s an interesting choice for their Aussie contingent, as Bennett’s writing feels so quintessentially British, but that central idea of something awful lurking beneath the surface of normality transfers effortlessly to the leafy affluence of the Eastern suburbs. The live musical interludes, performed by Michael Atherton, also capture that feeling of beautiful strangeness. His haunting compositions of panpipe, handpan, and guitar are ethereal, magically pulling together each scene as the story unfolds.

But the power of this production comes from its two performers- Fiona Gordon and Sophie Dillman. Director Diana Volpe succeeds in drawing out both the absurd humour and devastation in two of Bennett’s monologues- Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Her Big Chance – weaving them together to place the experiences of two very different women in sharp relief.

Dillman is delightful to watch, maintaining Lesley’s go-getter attitude without ever becoming overbearing. Lesley’s not exactly an ingénue- she’s far too clever for that- but her apparent blindness to the depravity around her is compelling to witness. Gordon’s Rosemary is more measured by contrast, but it is through her quiet fortitude that this character is given life. In her moments of solitude and silence, Gordon’s emotional depth is mesmerising.

At first, Lesley and Rosemary seem antithetical- one is ambitious, naive, almost sophisticated, while the other is more buttoned-up and observant. But in Volpe’s production, their lives are placed in parallel to reveal two women struggling to accept the roles that polite society has chosen for them. Bennett’s writing often valourises the marginalised, including women, but Volpe’s work here truly allows this aspect of the text to shine.

W Theatre makes theatre for unconventional spaces – including cafes, football clubs, and pubs – so it is fitting to see them work with a space like Woollahra Library. But this library is modern and inviting, with real vines growing in elaborate planters all over the building. There is an otherworldliness to the space that feels uncanny and beautiful, which compliments the work well. However, for a site-specific performance, the space sometimes felt underutilised. There were moments that could have been performed in a traditional theatre just as easily as they were performed in the library. However, the production was extremely effective when the realness of the space was pushed to the forefront. Atherton’s music echoed all around the tall atrium in a way that would not be possible in a normal theatre, and the lack of a blackout to hide in made the more skincrawling moments feel viscerally confronting.

A Bennett production is a guaranteed good night at the theatre –  but Volpe and W Theatre Woohlahra have succeeded in breathing new life into this 20th century masterpiece. Bennett’s words, with Dillman and Gordon’s excellent performances, and the interplay between text and space, encapsulates the tension between facade and reality with quiet beauty.

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Grace Davidson-Lynch attended Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads at Woollahra Library at Double Bay on Thursday 17 September.