Hawthornden Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 49 (1989) Winner
Alan Bennett
アラン・ベネット
Aran Benetto
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1934-05-09 （Armley, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England）
- Nationality
- British
- Languages
- English, Russian
- Religion
- Agnostic (raised Anglican)
- Residence History
- Leeds → Oxford → Gloucester Crescent, Camden Town, London → Primrose Hill, London → Clapham, Yorkshire Dales
Career
- Occupations
- Playwright, Author, Actor, Screenwriter
- Active Years
- 1960-2024
- Affiliations
- Royal National Theatre, BBC, Exeter College, Oxford (Honorary Fellow)
- Influenced By
- Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, Dudley Moore
- Influenced
- Contemporary British playwrights
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christ Church, Upper Armley, Church of England School | — | — | — | — | United Kingdom |
| Leeds Modern School (now Lawnswood School) | — | — | — | — | United Kingdom |
| Joint Services School for Linguists | — | Russian | — | — | United Kingdom |
| Exeter College, Oxford | — | History | 歴史学 一等学士 | 1950年代後半 | United Kingdom |
| Magdalen College, Oxford | — | Medieval History | — | — | United Kingdom |
Christ Church, Upper Armley, Church of England School
Country:
United Kingdom
Primary school, same class as Barbara Taylor Bradford
Leeds Modern School (now Lawnswood School)
Country:
United Kingdom
Secondary school
Joint Services School for Linguists
Russian
Country:
United Kingdom
During national service
Exeter College, Oxford
History
Degree:
歴史学 一等学士
Period:
1950年代後半
Country:
United Kingdom
Graduated with first-class degree in history
Magdalen College, Oxford
Medieval History
Country:
United Kingdom
Junior lecturer for several years
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Special Tony Award | Beyond the Fringe | — | Tony Awards | Won |
| 2005 | Society of London Theatre Special Award | — | — | Society of London Theatre | Won |
| 2005 | Laurence Olivier Award | The History Boys | 最優秀新作戯曲 | Society of London Theatre | Won |
| 2006 | Tony Award | The History Boys | 最優秀戯曲 | Tony Awards | Won |
| 1995 | Academy Award | The Madness of King George | 脚色賞 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Nomination |
Special Tony Award
1963
Work:
Beyond the Fringe
Organization:
Tony Awards
Result:
Won
Society of London Theatre Special Award
2005
Organization:
Society of London Theatre
Result:
Won
Laurence Olivier Award
2005
Work:
The History Boys
Category:
最優秀新作戯曲
Organization:
Society of London Theatre
Result:
Won
Tony Award
2006
Work:
The History Boys
Category:
最優秀戯曲
Organization:
Tony Awards
Result:
Won
Academy Award
1995
Work:
The Madness of King George
Category:
脚色賞
Organization:
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Result:
Nomination
Awards & Nominations
British Book Awards (The Nibbies)
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (1995) Winner
Works
Major Works
Beyond the Fringe
1960 Satirical revueSatirical revue at Edinburgh Festival with Cook, Miller, Moore, bringing instant fame.
SatireSocial commentary
Forty Years On
1968 PlayBennett's first stage play, starring John Gielgud.
British societyEducation
The History Boys
2004 PlayStory of 1960s schoolboys aiming for Oxford. Won Olivier and Tony Awards.
EducationHistoryHomosexualityAmbition
Adaptations
- [Film] The History Boys / Nicholas Hytner (2006)
The Madness of King George
1991 PlayDepicts madness of George III. Film version Oscar-nominated.
MonarchyIllnessPolitics
Adaptations
- [Film] The Madness of King George / Nicholas Hytner (1994)
The Lady in the Van
1991 PlayBased on true story of eccentric woman living in van on Bennett's driveway.
EccentricsKindnessClass
Adaptations
- [Film] The Lady in the Van / Nicholas Hytner (2015)
Talking Heads
1988 MonologuesTV series of monologues depicting everyday tragedies and comedies.
Everyday lifeLonelinessHumour
Adaptations
- [Theatre] Talking Heads (1992)
Bibliography
- Beyond the Fringe
- Forty Years On
- Getting On
- Habeas Corpus
- The Old Country
- Enjoy
- Office Suite
- A Private Function
- Forty Years On and Other Plays
- The Madness of George III
- Talking Heads
- The Uncommon Reader
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Wry humourAcute observationNorthern English vernacularConcise dialogue
- Recurring Motifs
- Class consciousnessFamily tensionsHistorical eventsEccentric charactersHomosexuality
Health
-
Colorectal cancer1997Tumour size of rock bun removed; survival odds <50%, achieved remission.
Legacy
Leading figure in modern British theatre, long association with Royal National Theatre. Famous for Talking Heads TV monologues. Cancer survivor who publishes diaries. Donated archive to Bodleian Library. Declined CBE and knighthood.
Archives
- Bodleian Library (University of Oxford)
In Popular Culture
- Portrayed by Alan Cox in Not Only But Always.
- Featured in Pete and Dud: Come Again.
- Voices himself in Family Guy episode 'Brian's Play'.
- Portrayed by Alex Jennings in The Lady in the Van.
- Portrayed by Seb Carrington in The Crown S2.
Trivia
- Declined CBE in 1988 and knighthood in 1996.
- Refused Oxford honorary doctorate in 1998 protesting Murdoch funding.
- Colorectal cancer survivor (1997).
- Donated entire archive to Bodleian Library.
- Mother and relatives suffered mental illness.
- Endorsed Jeremy Corbyn in 2015.