KNUTSFORD Little Theatre brings Alan Bennett’s brilliantly-observed characters to life in its latest production – Talking Heads.

The company has chosen three of the celebrated monologues - A Lady of Letters, A Chip in the Sugar and Her Big Chance - for the production, which runs at the theatre from Wednesday, September 19 to Saturday, September 22.

Director Lucy Oliver said: "Even though Alan Bennett's TV monologues, Talking Heads were first shown in 1988, they have lodged in the memory as entertaining exercises on timeless universal themes that are still seen today.

“The major theme running through these plays, however, is mental health and the need to talk.

“I have been lucky enough to specialise in this field for the past 20 years, teaching students with mental health needs and am passionate about championing the need for communication, which in turn reduces stigma and leads to better awareness and support.

“The theatre is very proud to support the cause through showing these highly entertaining plays.

“A feat of memory for the actors concerned, the monologues combine wry humour, tragedy and humanity.

“Bennett’s monologues are as generously humorous as one remembers but are also heart-wrenching, acute mini-tragedies.

Jacky Slator, last seen at Knutsford Little Theatre in 'Ladies Down Under', sets the standard for an evening of quality theatre as the wonderfully self-righteous, obsessive letter-writing, busy-body Miss Ruddock bringing out the humour of the piece with aplomb.

The story of this lonely and disturbed woman, who puts pen to paper at every opportunity, is told by Jacky with great skill and emotion at every turn.

Mike Wilding, a KLT veteran, continues the narratives, completely grasping the strange character of Graham, a mentally fragile man who lives with his mother and struggles to come to terms with a threat to their mutually dependent relationship.

As the story unfurls Mike delivers a confident performance as we learn more about Graham's state of mind as he describes his concerns delicately playing on the gaps between what Graham says and his real feelings and his dependence on his mother.

Concluding the trilogy of beloved monologues is Jo Sutton, who makes a welcome return to the KLT stage after taking the lead role in John Godber's 'Perfect Pitch'.

Jo plays Lesley in Her Big Chance - a bittersweet tale of optimism over circumstance; we learn that Lesley has had a sporadic acting career, but keeps her ever-deluded optimism.

This is possibly the funniest of the plays but also perhaps the most cruel. She is the most transparent of all the narrators, and Jo's reporting of conversations, especially her excellent facial expressions and delivery, make it possible for us to understand what is really going on.

Two-for-one tickets are available for the Wednesday performance. To book tickets visit knutsfordlittletheatre.com