There's very little in the substance of [THE LADY IN THE VAN] which is not fact though some adjustments have had to be made. Over the years Miss Shepherd was visited by a succession of social workers so the character in the play is a composite figure. . . . A composite too are the neighbours, Pauline and Rufus, though I have made Rufus a publisher in remembrance of my neighbour, the late Colin Haycraft, the proprietor of Duckworth's.
Alan BennettSometimes there is no next time, no time-outs, no second chances. Sometimes itโs now or never.
Alan BennettCloisters, ancient libraries ... I was confusing learning with the smell of cold stone.
Alan BennettGod doesn't do notes, either. Did Jesus Christ say, "Can I be excused the Crucifixion?" No!
Alan BennettI saw someone peeing in Jermym Street the other day. I thought, is this the end of civilization as we know it? Or is it simply someone peeing in Jermyn Street?
Alan BennettThe best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours
Alan Bennett