His collaboration as writer and performer with Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller and Peter Cook in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe at the 1960 Edinburgh Festivalbrought him instant fame. He gave up academia, and turned to writi… Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright, and screenwriter. The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett Published by Profile Books The Lady in the Van (1999) The Lady in the Van is undoubtedly one of Bennett’s finest plays and proved to be one of his greatest films. The story of The Lady in the Van was inspired by the woman who lived at the end of Alan Bennett’s driveway, in a van, for 15 years. Alan Bennett Plays One: Forty Years On, Getting On, Habeas Corpus and Enjoy (Faber Contemporary Classics) The Uncommon Reader book. Alan Bennett's award-winning series of solo pieces is a classic of contemporary drama, universally hailed for its combination of razor-sharp wit and deeply felt humanity. Read 5 813 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. He was born in Leeds and attended Oxford University, where he studied history and performed with the Oxford Revue. The Clothes … He stayed to teach and research medieval history at the university for several years. Alan Bennett, 1934 in Leeds geboren, wurde bekannt durch seine TV Comedy-Revue "Beyond the Fringe" sowie durch die 1987 unter dem Titel "Talking Heads" von der BBC gesendeten Monologe.