Alan Bennett

Three Plays

By: Alan Bennett

Narrated by: full cast

Alan Bennett's three classic BBC Radio full-cast dramas: Kafka's Dick, Forty Years On, and An Englishman Abroad.

Kafka's Dick
Alison Steadman, Richard Griffiths, and Nigel Anthony star in this BBC Radio 4 version of Alan Bennett's acclaimed comedy drama, described by the Daily Telegraph's Gillian Reynolds as "Pure joy". Bennett's brilliantly clever comedy not only examines the relationship between life and art, but also asks, What was Kafka's embarrassing little problem?

Forty Years On
Alan Bennett stars in the production of his own acclaimed satirical comedy about a headmaster of Albion House who is retiring and takes part in the end-of-year entertainment for the last time. It also stars Robert Bathurst and Eleanor Bron.

An Englishman Abroad
Michael Gambon and Penelope Wilton star as Guy Burgess and Coral Browne in this BBC Radio full-cast drama based on a real-life chance encounter in 1958 between the world famous spy and a Shakespearean actress.

Clever, funny, and poignant, Alan Bennett's masterful plays are rightly regarded as modern classics.

©2000, 2001, 2004, 2005 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2000, 2001, 2004, 2005 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A very English voice

As always Alan Bennett's dramatic output provides suberb entertainment. I especially liked Alan Bennet playing a rather fusty headmaster in 'Forty Year's On' and Michael Gambon playing camping it up as Guy Burgess in 'An Englishman Abroad'. I am not sure however that this very English humour goes down well across the atlantic, though the History Boys is now on Broadway, I understand.