Sara Kestelman

In 1974, Miss Mary Shepherd, a homeless woman, temporarily moved her clapped out Bedford van into Alan Bennett's front garden at Gloucester Crescent, Camden. She remained parked there for the next fifteen years.

The genuinely eccentric gatecrasher claims at various times to be a trained concert pianist, an ex-nun and on the run. She founds her own political party and the Virgin Mary appears to her regularly.

Described by her reluctant landlord as “a bigoted, cantankerous, devious, unforgiving, self-centred, rank, rude, car-mad cow”, she was to provide the subject for one of Bennett’s best-loved plays.

Originally a memoir, a radio series and, recently, a film, The Lady in the Van is classic Alan Bennett, touching, uplifting and wonderfully funny.

Alan Bennett’s plethora of multi award-winning plays includes Single Spies, Talking Heads, The Madness of George III, The History Boys and Enjoy.