Teddington Theatre Club's production of Talking Heads brought three of Alan Bennett's monologues into the intimacy of the Coward Room at the Hampton Hill Theatre.

Three individuals, each trapped in unfulfilled lives, chat in a dear diary' style that brings out Bennett's brilliantly observed humour. Through their bitingly funny words, albeit pierced through with irony and pathos, a personal biography of each character develops.

Vicar's wife Susan, feeling there should be more to life than her inconsiderate ambitious husband and his doting parishioners, seeks solace in the bottle and in the arms of Ramesh Ramesh, a Hindu grocer in Bed Among the Lentils'.

Carolyn Williams played Susan with the wicked glee of a naughty schoolgirl, as she unfolded her theology with drunken cynicism.

In A Lady of Letters' Irene Ruddock, an obsessive letter writer, is goaled when her pen strays from trying to right social ills into malicious libel. However, in prison this lonely woman begins to feel truly free. Cathy Raymond as Irene tackled this part with enthusiasm, but I felt that her struggles, as much with the culture as with the accent, undermined her confidence.

A Chip in the Sugar' was the highlight of this production. The long-suffering Graham tells how the relationship with his elderly widowed mother changes course when she re-ignites an old love affair. He reveals all his insecurities as he resigns himself to the possibility of his mother's attentions being usurped. Phil Greenleaves in this role was masterly in his use both of speech and body language. He used silences like a marlinspike to tease open the strands of meaning underlying the rope of dialogue.

His prematurely aged movements gave the impression that the character had, over the years, absorbed some of the persona of his elderly mother: an outstanding performance!

Director Ken Mason has created a production that is sardonic in the accuracy of its social comment, whilst remaining a hugely entertaining comedy.

Mark Aspen