Alan Bennett takes a very, poignant look at the comprised situation of the ‘Cambridge spies’ and the shadows lying behind even the most familiar facades.
An Englishman Abroad is the true story of actress Coral Browne’s chance encounter with disgraced spy Guy Burgess in a Moscow theatre. Invited to dine at his flat, she receives just one simple instruction - ‘bring a tape measure’.
A Question of Attribution follows Anthony Blunt, esteemed art historian and Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures. As he tries to solve the riddle of an enigmatic painting, Blunt finds himself the subject of a more official investigation by MI5. Will he be exposed for what would later be revealed to the world - that the man who worked in the heart of the Royal Household was also a Soviet spy?
Alan Bennett’s plays include The History Boys and The Madness of George III.