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Margaret Fairchild - Wikipedia The Lady in the Van

The Lady in the Van

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lady in the Van
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNicholas Hytner
Screenplay byAlan Bennett
Based onThe Lady in the Van
by Alan Bennett
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAndrew Dunn
Edited byTariq Anwar
Music byGeorge Fenton
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing[1]
Release dates
Running time
104 minutes[2]
CountryUnited Kingdom[3]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million[4]
Box office$41.4 million[5]

The Lady in the Van is a 2015 British[3] comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner, and starring Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings, based on the memoir of the same name created by Alan Bennett.

It was written by Bennett, and it tells the (mostly[6]) true story of his interactions with Mary Shepherd, an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van on his driveway in north London for 15 years.[citation needed] He had previously published the story as a 1989 essay, 1990 book, 1999 stage play, and 2009 radio play on BBC Radio 4. Smith had previously portrayed Shepherd twice: in the 1999 stage play, which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2000 Olivier Awards,[7] and in the 2009 radio adaptation.[8]

Hytner directed the 1999 stage play at the Queen's Theatre in London. The film was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival[9] and received largely positive reviews from critics.

Plot[edit]

The Lady in the Van tells the mostly true story of Alan Bennett's somewhat strained friendship with Miss Mary Shepherd, an irritable, eccentric, homeless woman whom Bennett befriended in the 1970s, before letting her park her Bedford van in the driveway of his Camden home "for three months". She ended up residing there for 15 years.

As the story develops, Bennett learns Miss Shepherd's true identity: Margaret Fairchild, a gifted former pupil of pianist Alfred Cortot. She had driven an ambulance in WWII, played Chopin at The Proms, attempted to become a nun twice, and was committed to an institution by her brother. She escaped, had an accident when her van was hit by a motorcyclist—for whose death she believed herself to blame—and thereafter lived in fear of arrest.

Social workers check in with her, the first offering her coats, then confiding in Mr. Bennett she would just as soon see her move on. Other than Bennett, other neighbours on the street would bring Miss Shepherd presents or food, in doing so being charitable in their eyes.

Bennett discovered to his surprise she had studied piano in France, and was fluent in French. Also, from time to time, a mysterious man stops by her van who frightens her, and she gives him money.

One day, a couple of youths scare Miss Shepherd, shaking the van and yelling at her. They wake her from a nightmare she was having of a long ago traffic accident. She goes to confession, and the priest reminds her he has absolved her several times already. The incident with the boys worries Alan, so he mentions at a meal with neighbours an idea to let her park in his drive. A wealthy neighbour buys her a new van, and it stays on Alan's property for the next 15 years.

Mary has an aversion to all music. When asked why, she explained that when she was a novice nun, left alone in a room with a piano she started to play a classical piece. She was forbidden to play it again. Another unusual experience she mentions is driving an ambulance during the 1939 blackout.

From time to time, she takes a trip to Broadstairs on the coast, visiting a cottage with a blue door, speaking with a man. Once she's gone to the day centre, Bennett goes to the person she's named next of kin. Her brother in Broadstairs fills him in on the details: she'd tried to be a nun twice, he had had her institutionalised in Banstead (however, she escaped) and she'd studied under the virtuoso pianist Alfred Cortot.

He returns home, to find her back. She had been scared off by a woman she'd known in Banstead, and had an opportunity to sneak in to play a piano in the centre. She retells that her confessor (in addition to the nuns) had forbidden her from playing, which she was told would help her spirit grow. Before he goes into his home, she asks to hold his hand. It was her final goodbye to him; she dies peacefully in her sleep in her van.

Much of the dialogue is between two versions of Bennett – his "real self" and his "writer self".

During her 15-year stay in his drive, Bennett balances his writing career with watching over Shepherd and providing for his increasingly invalid mother. Though he denies "caring" for anyone, he slowly becomes aware of his growing friendship with Shepherd. After her passing, Alan decides to write a memoir covering the years he has known her.

In 2014, the real Bennett is shown observing this film's final scene being filmed, with his younger self unveiling a blue plaque on his home dedicated to "The Lady in the Van". This scene is fictional, as this blue plaque has never existed.

Cast[edit]

The principal cast of Bennett's 2006 film The History Boys appear in cameo roles, with the exception of that film's "teachers", de la Tour, who has a more prominent role in this film, and Richard Griffiths, who died in 2013. This includes the "temporary teacher" (Moore) and all the "students" from that earlier film: Samuel Barnett (as Donald),[10] Samuel Anderson (as a Jehovah's Witness), Stephen Campbell Moore (as a doctor),[11] Dominic Cooper (as a theatre actor), James Corden (as a street trader),[12] Sacha Dhawan (as Doctor Malik),[13] Andrew Knott (as an ambulance driver), Clive Merrison (as a man attending confession),[11] Jamie Parker (as an estate agent),[12] and Russell Tovey (as a man with an earring).

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

The Lady in the Van was greenlit on 3 June 2014, with TriStar Productions and BBC Films working together to make the film adaptation of Alan Bennett's West End hit. TriStar won the film rights to handle worldwide distribution, while the BBC was the first to show the film on television in the UK. The involvement of Maggie Smith and Nicholas Hytner was announced simultaneously with the film,[14] but they were attached to the project as early as 9 May (coincidentally, Bennett's 80th birthday).[15][16] Both of them had collaborated with Bennett in the past; Hytner on The Madness of King George in 1994, and the film adaptation of The History Boys (in 2006), while Smith had portrayed Miss Shepherd in the original theatre production in 1999,[17] and again in a 2009 radio adaptation by BBC Radio 4.[7]

Filming[edit]

23 Gloucester Crescent in 2019

Principal photography began at 23 Gloucester Crescent (51.538681, −0.145635)[18][19] in north London in October 2014. The film was shot in and around Bennett's old house in Camden Town, where the real Miss Shepherd spent 15 years on his driveway. According to Hytner, they never considered [filming] anywhere else, and it was entertaining to see the look on all the residents’ faces; many of whom were there when the van drove down the crescent. Filming was a difficult experience for Smith because she spent most of her time confined to one van or another.

According to Smith, the van was not the most comfortable of places, and the film was much more concentrated than the play; the stage version was more physically demanding, but Smith admitted it was "a long time ago and [she] could handle it back then." She joked that not a lot of method [acting] was required when one was dressed as [she] was, and in a van.[20]

The production crew filmed for two days in November 2014 in Broadstairs in the Isle of Thanet, Kent, notably Viking Bay, featuring Morelli's Gelato and the Palace Cinema. Producer Kevin Loader described Viking Bay as "the perfect location" and said the area had benefited by £40,000, as the 50-strong crew stayed locally and took advantage of the various restaurants and bars.[21] Buckmaster House in Broadstairs, the only filming location outside London, was featured as Bennett's mother's nursing home in Weston-super-Mare.[22] The scenes which take place in church were filmed at the Church of St Silas the Martyr in Kentish Town, north London.[citation needed]

Music[edit]

Further information: The Lady in the Van (soundtrack)

The film's score consists of classical music by Chopin and others; some additional music was composed by George Fenton.[23][24] It was released as a soundtrack album through Sony Classical Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, on 6 November 2015 in the United Kingdom. This was followed by an 11 December release in the United States.[25]

Release[edit]

The worldwide premiere was held on 12 September 2015, at the Toronto International Film Festival.[26] This was followed by the UK premiere on 13 October at the 59th BFI London Film Festival;[27] which, in turn, was succeeded by the US premiere on 15 November, at the 38th Denver International Film Festival.[28] It was released in UK cinemas on 13 November 2015,[29] while there was a limited theatrical release on 15 January 2016 in the US.[30]

Marketing[edit]

The first trailer was released on 26 February 2015,[31] followed by a teaser poster on 5 March.[32] A new and extended trailer was released on 4 September.[33]

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

As of 20 March 2016, The Lady in the Van had grossed $US41.3 million worldwide; $US31.3 million in the United Kingdom.[5]

Critical reception[edit]

The Lady in the Van received positive reviews, with particular praise being aimed at Smith's acting. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating of 89%, based on 149 reviews, with an average rating of 7.21/10. The site's consensus states, "Led by a marvelous performance from Maggie Smith, Lady in the Van wrings poignant, often hilarious insight from its fact-based source material."[34] On Metacritic the film holds a score of 70 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[35]

"Maggie Smith delivers a compelling performance in The Lady in the Van, as Alan Bennett’s play comes to the big screen 15 years after it premiered at the National Theatre."

— Kate Muir, of The Times, following the worldwide premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.[36]

Guy Lodge, of Variety magazine, attended the worldwide premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. After the screening, he described Smith's portrayal of Mary Shepherd as "one of the most tailor-made leading roles of her late career". Even though, he says, the film is "low on narrative drive" and "marred by a misjudged final act", "Hytner's amiable [love] fest" is "enlivened by Smith’s signature irascibility; silver-dollar auds should turn up, if not in droves, at least in healthy vanloads".[10] Frank Scheck, of The Hollywood Reporter, also attended the premiere, and like Lodge, he felt Smith's character was the "driving force" behind the film. Not to his surprise, Smith "fully exploits the humour in her character's bizarreness". For example, when her character "receives guidance from the Virgin Mary; her utter obliviousness to her lack of personal hygiene; her hatred of the sound of music that sends her fleeing whenever she hears a note; and her ragtag wardrobe which has been assembled from various dumpsters". In spite of the humour, Scheck praised Smith for "subtly convey[ing] the emotional pain and desperation of [an] addled old woman, especially in the scenes [where she is] taken away by social services and gently treated to a thorough washing, feeding and medical examination".[37]

"She brilliantly re-creates her stage role [from] Alan Bennett’s autobiographical play about Miss Shepherd."

Lou Lumenick, of the New York Post, speaking of Maggie Smith.[26]

Ian Nathan, of Empire magazine, awarded the film four out of five stars. Like many, he applauded Smith's "liberating" role, describing her as "shrill and hilarious, but not a joke". He also commended the directing, saying: "Unshowy to a fault, Hytner delivers a fine, moving comedy of English manners between a writer and his eccentric tenant, which slowly deepens into an exploration of human bonds".[38] In a similar fashion, Peter Bradshaw, of The Guardian, awarded four out of five stars and called it an "enjoyable film from Nicholas Hytner". While he felt Smith's performance – "honed from previous stage and radio" adaptations – was "terrifically good", he praised Jennings for giving a "sharp and sympathetic performance as Bennett".[39]

"It’s all good fun, it’s just a shame about the attempts to impose drama on what is essentially a comic character study."

— Kaleem Aftab, of The Independent, speaking of The Lady in the Van.[40]

Donald Clarke, of The Irish Times, awarded the film three out of five stars. He said Smith's role is "indecently appropriate", while de la Tour's is "fabulous", and Allam's is "equally as good" as the latter's. The "problem" with the film is "that, like Miss Shepherd’s van, the story rarely" moves on. It remains "gracelessly the same throughout", with "narrative details" being "plucked like unattached footnotes". When the characters do "open up", during a "bafflingly appalling final scene", you "rather wish the doors had remained shut".[41] Also awarding three out of five stars, Stella Papamichael, of the Radio Times, had similar feelings. She said: Smith and Jennings' characters "veer close to a moment of pathos towards the end [of the film], but [it's not] too profound. The social awkwardness [leaves] a more lingering impression" on the audience.[42]

Jesse Hassenger, of The A.V. Club was critical, stating The Lady in the Van is flawed because the film is "supposed to be revealing Bennett, not Shepherd"; a fact that many "will be reminded of before the film’s end". Smith's character is very commanding on screen, while Jennings "honorably tend[s] to his character’s quiet, semi-closeted homosexuality". No "matter how many meaningful considerations of mortality" are thrown his way; through the screenplay, Jennings "doesn't have a chance" against Smith.[43] On the contrary, Slant Magazine's Elise Nakhnikian said the film is all about the "fastidious, somewhat timid, and reclusive playwright Alan Bennett", and stated the film's "annoying glibness is neatly summarized" by the line: "In life, going downhill is an uphill job".[44]

Accolades[edit]

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
201573rd Golden Globe AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or ComedyMaggie SmithNominated[45]
201569th British Academy Film AwardsBest Actress in a Leading RoleMaggie SmithNominated[46]
201543rd Evening Standard British Film AwardsBest ActressMaggie SmithWon[47]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Lady in the Van". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  2. ^ "THE LADY IN THE VAN (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  3. ^ Jump up to:a b "The Lady in the Van (2015)". British Film Institute. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  4. ^ Sharon Feinstein (26 October 2014). "Downton dowager is happy on tramp's pay". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  5. ^ Jump up to:a b "The Lady in the Van (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  6. ^ according to the film's introduction
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b "The Lady in the Van". The Telegraph. Telegraph.co.uk. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  8. ^ Christopher Orr (22 January 2016). "Review: In 'The Lady in the Van,' Maggie Smith Dazzles Yet Again". The Atlantic. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  9. ^ Kay, Jeremy (28 July 2015). "Toronto to open with 'Demolition'; world premieres for 'Trumbo', 'The Program' | News | Screen". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  10. ^ Jump up to:a b Guy Lodge (12 September 2015). "'The Lady in the Van' Review: A Light Vehicle for a Grand Maggie Smith". Variety. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  11. ^ Jump up to:a b Steve Payne (13 November 2015). "Film review: The Lady in the Van (9 out of 10) – West Sussex County Times". Wscountytimes.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  12. ^ Jump up to:a b Tim Robey (12 November 2015). "The Lady in the Van review: 'cosily enjoyable'". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  13. ^ Mani Maran (13 October 2015). "LFF 2015: The Lady In The Van | News | Movies – Empire". gb: Empireonline.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  14. ^ "June 3, 2014 – TRISTAR PRODUCTIONS GREENLIGHTS FILM VERSION OF THE LADY IN THE VAN STARRING MAGGIE SMITH" (Press release). Sony Pictures. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Alan Bennett's Lady in the Van getting big screen treatment". BBC News. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  16. ^ Andrew Pulver (9 May 2014). "Nicholas Hytner to direct adaptation of Alan Bennett's The Lady in the Van | Film". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  17. ^ Justin Kroll (3 June 2014). "TriStar Productions Teams With BBC Films on Maggie Smith's 'Lady in the Van'". Variety. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  18. ^ Tucker, Reed (28 November 2015). "Why a playwright let a homeless woman live in his driveway for 15 years | New York Post". New York Post. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  19. ^ "The Lady in the Van Press Conference in Full – Maggie Smith & Alan Bennett". YouTube. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  20. ^ Andrew Pulver (13 October 2015). "Alan Bennett: 'It was weird to film The Lady in the Van in my old house' | Film". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  21. ^ "The Lady in the Van: Maggie Smith film shot in Broadstairs is released today". Kentonline.co.uk. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  22. ^ "The Lady in the Van (2015)". Kent Film Office. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  23. ^ "Recordings :: George Fenton". Georgefentonmusic.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  24. ^ "The Lady in the Van [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] – George Fenton | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  25. ^ "'The Lady in the Van' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  26. ^ Jump up to:a b Lumenick, Lou (16 September 2015). "This film might land Maggie Smith her seventh Oscar nod | New York Post". New York Post. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  27. ^ "The 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® announces full 2015 programme". BFI. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  28. ^ Will C. Holden (4 November 2015). "2015 Denver Film Festival: 3 films worth seeing each day | FOX31 Denver". Kdvr.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  29. ^ Finbow, Katy (28 February 2015). "Maggie Smith lives on a driveway in The Lady in the Van trailer". Digitalspy.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  30. ^ Gans, Andrew (25 September 2015). "Maggie Smith Vehicle 'Lady in the Van' Will Open in New York and Los Angeles in December". Playbill. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  31. ^ Dan Bullock (26 February 2015). "Wonderful First Trailer For Alan Bennett Scripted 'The Lady In The Van'". Thehollywoodnews.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  32. ^ Lloyd, Kenji. "The Lady in the Van Poster". Finalreel.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  33. ^ Beth Ryan (4 September 2015). "The Lady in the Van: watch Maggie Smith in new trailer". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  34. ^ "The Lady In The Van (2015) – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  35. ^ "The Lady in the Van Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  36. ^ Kate Muir (14 September 2015). "The Lady in the Van at Toronto Film Festival". The Times. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  37. ^ "'The Lady in the Van': TIFF Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  38. ^ Ian Nathan (4 November 2015). "The Lady In The Van Review | Movie – Empire". gb: Empireonline.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  39. ^ Peter Bradshaw (12 November 2015). "The Lady in the Van review – Maggie Smith terrific as the muse in the driveway | Film". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  40. ^ Kaleem Aftab (20 September 2015). "The Lady in the Van – Film review: Maggie Smith shines in odd couple comedy". The Independent. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  41. ^ Donald Clarke (12 November 2015). "Lady in the Van review: Alan Bennett's everywhere, but Maggie Smith shines". Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  42. ^ Papamichael, Stella (13 November 2015). "The Lady in the Van | Film from". RadioTimes. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  43. ^ Hassenger, Jesse (3 December 2015). "The Lady In The Van · Film Review Maggie Smith looks for a Philomena of her own with The Lady In The Van · Movie Review · The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  44. ^ "The Lady in the Van | Film Review". Slant Magazine. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  45. ^ "Winners & Nominees 2016". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. HFPA. 10 December 2015. goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  46. ^ "2016 Film Leading Actress | BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  47. ^ "Evening Standard British Film Awards – the contenders". London Evening Standard. EveningStandard. 14 January 2016. standard.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2016.

External links[edit]








===

Margaret Fairchild - Wikipedia

Margaret Fairchild

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Margaret Fairchild
Fairchild in 1989
Born
Margaret Mary Fairchild

4 January 1911
Hellingly, East Sussex, England
Died28 April 1989 (aged 78)
23 Gloucester Crescent, Camden, London, England
Burial placeSt Pancras and Islington Cemetery
Other names
  • Mary Teresa Sheppard
  • Miss Shepherd
  • M T Sheppard
EducationÉcole Normale de Musique de Paris
Occupation(s)Concert pianist, nun
Known forDramatised by Alan Bennett in The Lady in the Van

Margaret Mary Fairchild (4 January 1911 – 28 April 1989), also known as Mary Teresa Sheppard, Miss Shepherd and M T Sheppard,[1] was a British homeless woman.

Her life was depicted in the 2015 film The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett in which she was played by Dame Maggie Smith. Smith had previously played her in a 1999 play of the same name and a radio adaptation for BBC Radio 4 in 2009. She had also been a concert pianist and nun.

Biography[edit]

The former Convent of the Society of the Helpers of the Holy Souls on Gloucester Avenue where Fairchild was a novice in 1936, now the North Bridge House School.

Margaret Fairchild was born in 1911 in Hellingly in East Sussex, the daughter of Harriett (née Burgess; 1879–1963) and George Bryant Fairchild (1866–1944), a surveyor and sanitary inspector. Her brother was Leopold George Fairchild (1908–1994).[2]

A gifted pianist, according to her brother, around 1932 the middle-class and well-spoken Margaret Fairchild studied at the École Normale de Musique de Paris in Paris under the virtuoso Alfred Cortot, and it has been said that she later played in a promenade concert;[3][4] however, she does not appear in the BBC's online Proms performance archive.[5]

In 1936, as Mary Teresa, she became a novice in the Convent of the Society of the Helpers of the Holy Souls on Gloucester Avenue in Regent's Park (later the Japanese School in London and now the North Bridge House School),[6] a short distance from Gloucester Crescent where she famously returned decades later. Later in 1936 she was at St Joseph's Priory on Harrow Road West in Dorking.[7]

In 1939, Fairchild was a Religious Sister and schoolteacher at St Gilda's Catholic School in Yeovil, Somerset.[8] 

Her brother related that in the convent Fairchild was forced to abandon her love of music and playing in order to concentrate on her faith and she left the order following a breakdown. Her fellow nuns described her as "argumentative".

During World War II, Fairchild was trained to drive ambulances by the ATS, which began her love for vehicles and driving.[9] From at least 1950 to 1957 she lived with her mother at 98 Elgin Crescent in Notting Hill.[10]

A commanding figure at nearly 6 feet tall, Fairchild became increasingly erratic in her behaviour and constantly argued about religion with her mother with whom she lived. Her brother had her committed to Banstead Hospital, a psychiatric hospital, from which she escaped. She was to abscond from various other mental hospitals until she remained at large for a year and a day which legally demonstrated her competence to live unsupervised.[11] Later she had an accident when the van she was driving was hit by a motorcyclist who subsequently died. Fairchild believed she was to blame for the accident and left the scene without giving her details, thereafter living in fear of arrest.[3] At this time she changed her name to Sheppard to avoid detection and made her way back to the vicinity of the convent on Gloucester Avenue where she had taken her vows. However, she had little to do with the nuns, or they with her.[citation needed]

Bennett and Gloucester Crescent[edit]

23 Gloucester Crescent in 2019
For 15 years Fairchild lived in her van where the car is in this image

In the late 1960s Fairchild, calling herself 'Miss Mary Sheppard', began to park her Bedford van in front of the houses in affluent Gloucester Crescent in Camden Town where she would annoy the well-heeled homeowners by parking in front of a house and then pile rubbish-filled plastic bags around the vehicle until told to move on. Over time her hand-painted yellow van moved down the road until in 1971 it stopped outside the home of playwright and author Alan Bennett,[4] who said of her "She was there in full view of my window while I was working. She used to get pestered by people. I used to go out and tell [those] people to clear off. This distracted me from my work, and it gradually got to the point when it was harder for me to work than it should be, and the only way to break through the situation was to invite her into the drive, where no one else would bother her.” Bennett added, "She was difficult to like. She never smiled, she had no sense of humour, her politics were very different from mine . . . And all these things made her an aggressive personality." However, he allowed her to temporarily park her dilapidated van on his narrow driveway at 23 Gloucester Crescent in Camden, expecting her to leave in a few months.

She was to stay until her death 15 years later. In her van Fairchild would write political pamphlets for her right-wing Fidelis party with titles such as "True View: Mattering Things" that Bennett would type up for her and have copied in a local printers; he was concerned that the workers would believe that the extreme views expressed in the pamphlets were his own. Her political aspirations caused her to ask Bennett, "When I'm elected do you think I shall have to live in Downing Street or could I run things from the van?"[4]

Periodically, local nuns would bring her food to supplement what Fairchild had bought with her Social Security payments, though she had neither means of cooking in the van nor a toilet. Bennett ran an electric cable from his house to the van so that Fairchild could run a heater and a television. He was only to discover her true identity from her brother after her death.[3]

The 'genteel vagrant'[12] Margaret Fairchild died in her van on the driveway at 23 Gloucester Crescent in Camden in 1989 aged 78.[1] After a funeral service in the Catholic church of Our Lady of Hal in Camden Town she was buried in an unmarked grave in St Pancras and Islington Cemetery.[13]

Fairchild's collection of self-penned political pamphlets, hand-written notes and shopping lists are in the Alan Bennett Archive at the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.[14]

The Lady in the Van[edit]

Bennett wrote The Lady in the Van based on his experiences with the eccentric woman. Fairchild/Shepherd's story was first published in 1989 as an essay in the London Review of Books. In 1990 Bennett published it in book form. In 1999 he adapted it into a stage play at the Queen's Theatre in London which starred Maggie Smith who received a Best Actress nomination at the 2000 Olivier Awards[15] and which was directed by Nicholas Hytner. The stage play includes two characters named Alan Bennett. On 21 February 2009 it was broadcast as a radio play on BBC Radio 4, with Maggie Smith reprising her role[16] and Alan Bennett playing himself. He adapted the story again for the 2015 film The Lady in the Van with Maggie Smith reprising her role again, and Nicholas Hytner directing again.

Other theatrical representations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to:a b England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995 for Margaret Mary Fairchild (1989) – Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  2. ^ 1911 England Census for Margaret Mary Fairchild in Sussex, Hellingly, Ancestry.com. Accessed 2 December 2022. (subscription required)
  3. ^ Jump up to:a b c Why a playwright let a homeless woman live in his driveway for 15 years – The New York Post 28 November 2015
  4. ^ Jump up to:a b c "Maggie Smith on the real Lady in The Van: 'Nobody will ever understand why she ended up like that'", 'The Daily Telegraph, 24 December 2016.
  5. ^ [1] Archived 22 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832–1965 for Margaret Mary Fairchild – Camden St Pancras 1936 – Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  7. ^ Surrey, England, Electoral Registers, 1832–1962 for Margaret Mary Fairchild – Reigate 1935 – Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  8. ^ 1939 England and Wales Register for Margaret M Fairchild – Somerset, Yeovil, Ancestry.com. Accessed 2 December 2022.(subscription required)
  9. ^ Alan Bennett, The Lady in the Van: The Complete Edition Faber & Faber Ltd (2015), p. 89
  10. ^ London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832–1965 for Margaret M Fairchild – Kensington and Chelsea -Kensington North, – Ancestry.com. Accessed 2 December 2022.(subscription required)
  11. ^ Bennett, p. 90
  12. ^ The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett – Samuel French
  13. ^ Bennett, pg. 37
  14. ^ Nicholas Hytner’s Foreword to The Lady in the Van: The Screenplay by Alan Bennett – Talk House
  15. ^ "The Lady in the Van". The Telegraph. Telegraph.co.uk. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  16. ^ Christopher Orr (22 January 2016). "Review: In 'The Lady in the Van,' Maggie Smith Dazzles Yet Again". The Atlantic. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  17. ^ Review of The Lady in the Van (2008) – British Theatre Guide
  18. ^ Review of The Lady in the Van – The Guardian 26 April 2011
  19. ^ Review: The Lady in the Van, (Theatre Royal, Bath) WhatsOnstage.com (2017)
  20. ^ The Lady in the Van – Melbourne Theatre Company
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